Rookie 5
by CertainDestiny
Summary: Raidon Kaminari, Aizonde Perfecture, Hono Teiduhura, Yukimano Sotatsu, Tsu Lung Xioyuna. These 5 graduating Soul Reapers are at the pinnacle of pride at the top of their class. They are the Rookie 5. Rated T for language.
1. Enter: Rookie 5

Here comes my first Bleach story and, as people who've read other stories of mine should know, will involve some characters exclusive to my knowledge and ways. Don't flame or bash about OCs to me, my actions will range from scolding to ignoring you. You've been forewarned. Anyway, enjoy and I hope to improve along the way.

**Disclaimer: **Bleach is copyrighted by Tite Kubo (characters, series, and concepts). The only elements that shall be exclusive to me will be my OCs and their respective original content.

**Enter: The Rookie 5**

The blazing, omnipresent sunlight shone upon their faces as they proudly stood their ground. Regardless of the many eyes staring attentive and intrigued, ounces of nervousness were nothing but myths.

"Step forward!" A domineering yet decrepit voice demanded from a higher position than they. In unison, five characters walked up from their former crowd. Said amalgam watched the five people form an increasing gap with mixtures of pride and envy.

As the quintuple approached their superiors, they could not help but reminisce the events that led to this day:

_The treacherous and cool tears from heaven pattered on the hard objects carelessly. Normally, this phenomenon seemed common in all parts of the Human World; however, in a special case, the rain was torture; torture to a soaked, depressed child._

_The electric yellow hair hung off his face damp and heavy as he lifelessly curled into a fetal ball. No one acknowledged him, no one asked to check his well-being, and no one cared. His digestive tract rang as an internal growling sound was produced. Well like its owner, it was neglected. The bliss of sustenance was taking a vast and ongoing hiatus. Reason being that food never could be grasped. Starvation seemed imminent for the child, yet death seemed to walk away him…just like tawdry citizens walking past his alleyway._

_His soulless, pale crimson irises lazily circumnavigated the small world he was offered; the alleyway, the sidewalk, and the busy street. He was unsatisfied, but what could a poor orphan like him do about it? Nothing and he knew that grim truth._

_However, as merciless as destiny was, he was granted something out of the ordinary. Another male child sat alone on the concert parallel to his position. He moved his soaked blonde hair out of the way to examine the matter more thoroughly. The male seemed to be suffering an all-too-similar plight. His half-sapphire, half-Persian blue hair appeared to be unaffected by the clear drops of aqua yet their matching pigmentations exhibited his sorrow. _

_Curiously, the orphan removed himself from his sanctum and cautiously crossed the asphalt sea of mobile metal until he reached his destination. "Hey." His meek tone stated. The other child looked up, his powder blue eyes languid and starving, and responded, "Hi…" His tone still had bravado, but one could easily conclude he was weak and feeble. _

"_Why are you sitting here alone?" The electric blonde asked, taking the liberty to sit next to him. "…I have been alone my whole life, there's nothing for me to do." The dual-blue headed child answered melancholily. The electric blonde looked sympathetically at his acquaintance and said, "What a small world, you are suffering just as I am." _

_That statement got the dual-blue headed youngster to gawk at his new friend, "I'm Aizonde…Perfecture Aizonde." The yellow-headed child smiled faintly and replied, "Raidon…Kaminari Raidon." Right then and there, a friendship was formed._

"Kaminari Raidon!" The same commanding yet elderly voice called out. "Sir!" The grown-up, much healthier and vibrant Raidon Kaminari stood stoically and focused. His electric blonde hair formed lightning bolt-shaped bangs that concealed the majority of the right portion of his face. Additionally, the back part of his hair stopped at his nape. His crimson eyes were confident and vivacious.

"Perfecture Aizonde!" "Sir, yes, sir…" The calm, cool, and collected tone of a much more mature and composed Aizonde Perfecture glimpsed at his ancient superior with his indifferent powder blue eyes. His wavy half-sapphire and half-Persian blue hair graced his body until just past his shoulders.

_Aizonde and Raidon sprawled themselves on broken couches and wooden creates, attempting to salvage as much comfort as their frail, young bodies could manage. They nibbled the small pieces of dough they scarcely were able to acquire. Regardless of how plebian it was, their stomach accepted this nourishment, elated to have the digestive hiatus quashed. _

_Before the food could be finished off, both orphaned children heard woeful obscenities to their ears, crying. Curiously, they removed themselves from their menial furniture and followed the source of the weeping. Their search led them to the opposite direction of the alley, requiring the ability to scale over an iron fence. Upon landing, Aizonde and Raidon sought a young, obviously multiracial female with smooth raven hair. That obsidian-colored hair was tied up into a bun and kept in place by two silver chopsticks. Her eyes were concealed by her torn kimono sleeve and her lungs squeaked out sorrowful noises. _

_Concerned emotions built up in their hearts, so they were going to perform a charitable act of kindness upon this weeping willow. "Excuse me?" Raidon spoke. The girl removed her sleeve from her briste-colored eyes (red and raw from excessive crying) to look at the strangers. "Wh-who are you…?" Her more than timid voice questioned. "We're-"_

"_Stay away from her…" A low, yet young voice threatened. Alarmed, Aizonde and Raidon backed up from the multiracial female. Another female, except with longer dark emerald-colored hair, stood in the entrance to the ally. Her breaths were shallow and labored, and her appearance resembled that of a combatant escaping a brawl. Her silver eyes glared at the boys menacingly; the only characteristic of her that actually alarmed Raidon and Aizonde._

"_Yukimano!" The timorous voice of the onyx-haired girl exclaimed. She was evidently troubled at the look of her friend. "Whoa, what happened to you?" Aizonde questioned. Stubbornly, the girl identified as Yukimano went in front of the other female protectively. "None of your business!" She spat venomously, "Leave us alone…" _

_Just as her demands were going to be fulfilled, simultaneous internal roars originated from their stomachs. "Yukimano…" The raven-haired female groaned as her arms wrapped around her stomach in an attempt to be rid of the detriment, "Did you…get any food?" Yukimano turned to her and forlornly announced, "I'm sorry…I could not salvage any…"_

_Before any tears could be shed, two lovely pieces of dough provided contemporary sanctuary to the females. The electric blonde and dual-blue-haired males were offering their shares to the starving females. "Kaminari Raidon." "Perfecture Aizonde."_

_The girls stared at the tributes in utter bewilderment. Never had anyone displayed such charity to them, not once their whole lifespan. Relieved and overjoyed, the girls took connected their hands with each of the males, and the bread that signified their friendship. "Sōtatsu Yukimano." "Xioyuna Tsu Lung."_

"Sōtatsu Yukimano!" "Yes sir!" The length of Yukimano's dark emerald locks reached all the way to her posterior. Her stoic and take-charge attitude had not dwindled nor did her strong-minded voice.

"Xioyuna Tsu Lung." "Hai!" Tsu Lung was hardly uncharged as well. Her timid countenance was now a chipper and cheerful attitude, yet her voice remained meek and soft-spoken.

_Aizonde, Raidon, Yukimano, and Tsu Lung munched happily on their full-length loaves of bread. These neglected orphans had proven that multiple heads thought better than one. They managed to obtain much more food than they could individually; however, famine was still a lethal threat and so was lack of shelter. The dough was ultimately consumed and traveled down their esophagus into their waiting stomachs. Satiated, they sprawled out on scattered locations in the alley, waiting for anything interesting and extraordinary or their stomachs to make their daily call._

_Well, their desire for the unexpected shall be granted._

"_Hey! Let me go!" a rowdy, rough yet childish voice hollered. Alerted, the four orphans peeked through the quadrilateral gaps of the iron fence. They witnessed a gang of approximately five thugs; these thugs garnished in odd, night-colored attire and skin pale as snowy apparitions. They were cornering a much younger person, a child to be exact!_

_The kid harbored rust-colored hair with the left portion of his head blanketed by it (interestingly, said excerpt of hair possessed a flaming pattern). His onyx eyes were glinting with menace as they glared vehemently at their oppressors. In his grasp was a bag of nourishment. The misfortunate vagabond must have resorted to pilfering to satisfy his internal needs._

"_Listen, you little punk." The unusually raspy voice of the supposed leader hissed, "Relinquish your goods back to us if you value your pathetic existence."_

_Brazenly, the child retorted, "You can take those demands and stick 'em where the sun don't shine." An agitated snarl from the speaker elicited an overconfident smirk from the victim. "Why you…" the leading tormenter raised a mighty, bulky left arm, ready to retaliate._

"_Hold it!" The simultaneous demand caused the leader to freeze up. Raidon, Aizonde, Yukimano, and Tsu Lung leered heatedly at the mob for trifling with someone of their disadvantaged caliber._

_Mockingly, the amalgam of strangers guffawed at the seemingly pitiful attempt at coercion; however, their cackling was abruptly paused when some invisible, otherworldly force acted upon them. Miraculously from the glares of all of the prepubescent people present, their intimidation spiritually forced them into submission. Not wanting to continue to loiter and suffer more of this, the group fled._

_Now that that crisis was averted, Raidon sympathetically confronted the new face and asked, "You OK?" The person in question scoffed and turned away, "I don't need your pity nor did I ask for your help."_

_Before he had the chance to walk away, Yukimano blockaded him and reprimanded, "Don't flatter yourself, if we had not interfered, you would have been crushed." Tsu Lung then softly spoke up, "Um, what made those guys corner you like that?"_

_The stubborn newcomer lifted up the bag and answered, "They saw me steal this, but I'm hungry and a guy's gotta do what a guy's s gotta do." Aizonde shook his head in pity, "There is a much simpler means for obtaining food than your volatile methods." Fiery onyx eyes met cool powder blue eyes, "Like what?"_

"_Hang with us." Raidon responded, answering as if he was reading Aizonde's mind. The new kid on the block questioningly looked at the electric blonde. "Not only will you be safer, you will acquire more food."_

_Silence befell them, other than the commotion of cars and people in the busy outside world. The corners of his mouth curved; this was not the overconfident grin seen before, but a genuine smile. "Teiduhura Hono."_

"Teiduhura Hono!" "Hn." Hono was still the rough-'n'-tough individual person he was. His sarcastic onyx eyes shifted their view to many points in the open-air, enclosed environment, yet his ears stayed focus on the proclamations of his superior.

"Unsheathe your zanpakuto."

Raidon lifted his arm over his shoulder ad reached to touch the protruding hilt on his back. A low, sharp sound was created as his zanpakuto glided out of his sheath. Raidon's zanpakuto, on its sealed state, was a falchion.

_The frigid temperatures punctured his pale, freezing skin. His shallow breaths were white puffs of smoke. Starvation ceased to be a threat, freezing to death was now. The sub-zero environment finally snaked into his bone marrow and siphoned the little remnants of his strength. He collapsed onto the layer of white. His electric blonde hair scattered into the snow and his body became stiff._

"_So this is it…" A final pessimistic utterance exited his thoughts._

_However, before going unconscious, he felt his frail body being hoisted by a warmer, stronger arm._

_The minute his consciousness was regained, he felt the inviting comfort of warmth adorn his contradictorily cold body. His exhausted crimson eyes sought a roaring flame adjacent to him. Befuddled, he checked his enclosed surroundings but found nothing to explain this occurrence._

"_So you've awakened…" A calm, cool, and collected voice stated. The electric blonde boy saw an adult, standing at the entrance to the diminutive cavern, looking out to the frozen, snowy wasteland. "What happened?" The child asked. "You passed out in the cold," the adult answered with his obsidian hair flowing in the frigid breeze, "I couldn't leave you there."_

"_Oh." The lone youngster curled up into a ball purposelessly. As such occurred, his stomach released an audible call of hunger. The owner of the hindrance groaned, he possessed no food at all. "Here." The low voice said as a stick with wild berries attached to it obscured the kid's vision._

_The black-haired adult, gazing with his seemingly indifferent slate eyes, held the stick of food in his extended right hand. The electric blonde accepted the gift and ate it slowly._

_The stranger then sauntered away from him. "Stay in here until the snow subsides. That fire will keep you warm until then." The child gave an understanding nod and resumed consuming his small meal._

_The adult stranger glimpsed at the preoccupied child one last time, "Also…" He eyed the visible shadows of lightning on the stone behind the kid, "when you grow up, consider becoming a Soul Reaper."_

Aizonde reached for the sheathe horizontally attached to his tailbone area. He grasped the hilt and removed his zanpakuto. Aizonde's zanpakuto, in its sealed state, was a kampilan.

_Total silence is the only thing that could compliment the exquisite scenery._

_The blue-headed orphan advanced through the area with his mind set on one objective: food. Ultimately, he reached his destination: an immense deep blue lake of majesty with shrubbery tracing its circumference. The child allowed an excited smile form because this location was actually his secret stash for emergency food whenever he could not salvage any in city limits. The shrubs and bushes grew berries of all assortments._

_However, bad luck would convert his smile into a frown._

_All of the shrubbery were plucked free of sustenance. Not one sole berry survived harvest. A dissatisfied exhale left his mouth as he slumped near the shoreline. His forlorn expression was reflected off the deep blue body of water._

_Suddenly, another reflection appeared on the lake. "Kinda late to play hooky, huh, kid?" A somewhat flamboyant voice stated. The dual-blue haired vagabond turned around to see an adult wearing a basket-hat and a pink, flower-patterned kimono over his black-and-white robe. "I'm not," the dejected child replied reverting to his original position, "just forgotten and hungry…"_

_The older person shifted in his spot to take a seat on the ground by the younger person. "Here." The older person said, extending something to the youngster. The recipient of the man's courtesy looked at the object: a stick pierced through three edible spheres. He raised his hand and accepted it. "It's dango, try it." The adult male explained and began to chomp onto hi s own stick of dango._

_The orphan nibbled on the first orb; then his nibbles transformed into savoring bites. The lavishly-clothed male drank a couple of fluid ounces of water from his canteen before he noticed something peculiar._

"_You know, kid, we may have just met, but there's something about you," The older male let a smile come up on his lips as he saw waves begin to develop in the lake, "that I find _very_ intriguing."_

Hono placed his hands, one each, on the hilts of his swords. Their sheaths formed an X-shaped cross attached to the base of his spinal area. As he unsheathed his dual zanpakuto, two yatagans created a sharp, shiny glint.

_The rust-haired wanderer scurried and prowled throughout the forest in search of sustenance. So far, his search was nothing but failure. His frustrated, guttural growl could have cleared the vicinity of any kind of predator._

_Then, a flash of pink slightly eclipsed his eyesight momentarily. Slightly interested, the vagabond followed this potential lead. When he finally discovered the source, he saw a petite pink-haired girl ambling alone. The child smirked, assuming this would be an easy steal._

"_I wouldn't try that if I were you," the cheerful, singsong tone of the cotton candy-haired girl advised, "Kenny will not like that." The flaming-headed orphan assumed this to be a bluff. "Yeah, yeah, keep talking!" He lunged at the bubblegum-haired girl, only to be stopped by an overpoweringly stronger grasp. The girl turned around and looked at the boy with her burgundy-colored eyes. "Told you so~"_

_The rust-headed child was placed harmlessly on the ground. "Why are you messing with my lieutenant?" A gruff voice questioned. The orphan turned to face the origination and was met with someone that looked like a skyscraper compared to him. "Uhhhhh…." He droned, unable to find a plausible answer, especially considering he was facing someone way bigger than him. _

_Then, his dreaded call of digestion sounded, making its needs known to the newly encountered people. "Ah, hungry huh?" The onyx-haired thug stated. "N-no, I'm not!" The child defiantly replied. The pink-haired girl in the background giggled cutely to herself. "Hm." The manly monstrosity examined the kid intently. "You know what," he spoke, "I like you, kid. You need to be a Soul Reaper when you grow up."_

_Before any questions could be uttered, the thug-like person gave the orphan a hard smack on the back, causing the receiver to fall over. The pink-haired girl hopped onto the larger person' shoulder, lying stomach-first. "Wow…" She gasped when she saw the rust-haired orphan's shadow form the silhouette of a majestic fire. _

Yukimano unsheathed her zanpakuto from her right hip. Her zanpakuto, in its sealed state, was a Arabian-style scimitar.

_Dead end. Nothing to do, nowhere to go. So what could a possibly a dark emerald-haired child be doing in this locality? She managed to climb the cliff and reach the roots of skyscraper-like trees. Skillfully, the ambitious and fearless girl made it to the highest branch and sat comfortably on it. _

_Whenever her hunger irked her at its best, she would come to this remote location to try and remove her thoughts of it; however, she knew he would have to satiate the need eventually…for her and her absent comrade. _

_She reached into her loose clothing and pulled out an object: a beige-colored shakuhachi (Japanese-style fue). She placed her lips at the blowing edge of the Japanese-style flute and blew into it. Her dexterous fingers glided across the holed shaft as airy musical notes began to fill up the remote area._

_As each passing, beautiful note played, the trees and plant life began to sway, almost in tune. For once, vitality was blessing the location._

_A swift shadow hopped from tree-to-tree, focused on its mission. _"I sense its Spiritual Pressure." _The entity thought. Out of the blue, a second source of whatever energy the person was sensing appeared accompanied by music. "Hn? What the?" The person said and stopped at the next tree. The being was female with short and petite with black hair and a nary outfit suited for combat. Whatever she was attentive on was diverted when the second phenomenon came into the picture._

_Curiously, she began to hop from tree-to-tree again getting closer to the origin of the Spiritual Pressure and melody. Eventually, the lone woman was nearby the source. "So…this is what I'm sensing…" She said as she looked at the music player and the marvel occurring around said player. As the older women closed her eyes, a smirk stretched across her face. "I wouldn't be surprised I see her in the Academy eventually." She said as disappeared, leaving behind the dark emerald-haired music player and the windy apparition formed over the tree._

Tsu Lung held her rapier out in front of her vertically and valiantly, patiently awaiting the next proclamation from her ancient senior. Even as attentive as she was, she could not help but remember the event that led to this day:

_Weeping. The saddest sound humankind could produce. Benign's bane, vice's lark. The crying could not be stopped; the performer was wounded…physically and internally. Her stomach's daily call was drowned out by her resonant sorrow. A deep, lengthy gash across her shoulder only elicited more lament. _

"_Why do you weep, little one?" A gentle voice asked. The weeping willow lifted her head up to see a pure white-haired man looking down at her worriedly. Wordlessly, the injured girl pointed to her wound and then upward. Visually following her ministrations, the white-headed adult saw the cut and then the group of bananas overhead. "I see. You climb up this tree and to try and get those fruit, but you lost your footing and cut yourself on your descent." He accurately surmised. The girl nodded weakly in response. _

_Turning his head the opposite way, the courteous adult released several sickly coughs. He then removed a piece of tarp from his person and knelt down to the anguished girl. "Remove your sleeve right quick. Please trust me." He said. Reluctantly, the dark-haired child removed the sleeve of her raggedy kimono to thoroughly reveal the laceration. Tenderly and carefully, the snow-haired male wrapped the tarp around the wound. When he finished, he announced as he stood on his feet, "There. All done."_

"_Thank you…" The soft-spoken orphan thanked. "Listen," the man spoke again, catching the female's attention once more, "In your life there are going to be times where you fall down…" The girl's eyes, red and raw from excessive lamentations, looked at him questioningly. His hand extended one of the bananas she previously attempted to capture. "…But you just have to get right back up, there is no time for weeping." Astounded at his words of wisdom, she took the yellow fruit and responded, "H-Hai…"_

"_Farewell for now." The adult declared as he turned and walked away. The girl peeled the exterior of the fruit and hungrily devoured the mushy interior. The departing man gave one last glimpse at her, _"Besides, when you become a Soul Reaper, you'll be faced with much more difficult times." _He thought as he eyed the lunar celestial body, illumining even brighter than before, behind the girl._

"Soul Reapers! Today, you are looking at ones who are moving up! You five have proven to your teachers at the Shinigami Academy and hereby earn this graduation! Congratulations!"

Cheers, nothing but cheers roared in the environment. They were praising these five proud people:

Raidon Kaminari.

Aizonde Perfecture.

Hono Teiduhura.

Yukimano Sōtatsu.

Tsu Lung Xioyuna.

These 5 graduating Soul Reapers are at the pinnacle of pride at the top of their class.

They are the Rookie 5.

**Ending Author Notes**

Although I _did _take time to proofread this chapter, if anyone spots any error/inconsistency, don't hestitate to let me know.


	2. Ghouls & Gigai

**Disclaimer: **Bleach is copyrighted by Tite Kubo (characters, series, and concepts). The only elements that shall be exclusive to me will be my OCs and their respective original content.

I would appreciate it if any reader would point out any errors that I overlooked (I proofread the chapter). So enjoy!

**Ghouls & Gigai**

After the celebration was cleared out and students sent back to class, the Rookie 5 was summoned to the 1st Division Headquarters of the Seireitei. Inside at the Main Assembly Hall, the five Soul Reapers stood shoulder-to-shoulder facing their ancient superior, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. The Captain-Commander himself and the remaining twelve captains of the Gotei 13 were inside the location.

"So, sir," Raidon spoke up maintaining his polite and respectful posture, "If you do not mind me asking, why have you brought us here?" Yamamoto's response was momentary silence but actually answering his question, "I will tell once one of our captains manages to actually get here."

Sure enough, there was a breach in the line of proud captains; one to be precise. Hono huffed agitatedly, "What how long that's gonna take…" A white-haired captain looked at the gap soundlessly and thought, _"Is there ever going to be time when he's actually on time?"_

"Hey, Old-Man Yama!" A jubilant voice called out, "Sorry I'm late! Had some last things to attend to!" A person suddenly appeared, via Flash Step, to obstruct the break in the line. "Will there ever be a time when you actually are present at a desired time?" The snow-haired man whispered in inquiry to his adjacent friend. "Like I said, there was last minute business I needed to do." The guy responded.

"Now we may begin." Yamamoto announced, "Raidon, to answer your question, you five will be chosen by a captain and escorted to the Human World to perform a Soul Burial. This will also be a chance for you to perform your Gigai effectively."

Hono scratched the back of his head and surmised, "So, in layman terms, we're going to be cherry-picked, have to bring in a kid's soul, and practice associating in the Human World?" The Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 nodded and responded, "Percisely. Now, captains, first come, first serve, so-"

Before the senior citizen could finish, five captains suddenly Flash Stepped in front of the five respective members of the Rookie 5.

The tardy, flamboyant Soul Reaper appeared in front of Aizonde. "Hey, remember me, kid? I'm Shunsui Kyōraku and I'll be your guide until further notice." The dual-blue haired Shinigami recognized the man instantaneously and cracked a cool smile, "Really now? You're not going to win my friendship with dango, are you?" Shunsui gave a force, sarcastic laugh and replied, "Really funny, rookie."

A bulkily built, rough-looking Soul Reaper with black hair almost fashioned like a starfish was in front of Hono. "Heh, I figured you would get to this point." A somewhat psychotic grin appeared on the thug's face, "Zaraki Kenpachi." Hono cracked an imitation smirk in attempt to have his boldness be comparable to Kenpachi's. He replied, "Well, what did you expect? Now I get to knock _you _down, pal!"

An ebony-haired Shinigami with slate grey eyes and a cool composure was in front of Raidon. "Hn. I see you adhered to my advice. I am Byakuya Kuchiki." He introduced. Raidon respectfully bowed his head and proclaimed, "An honor to acquaint you, Captain Kuchiki." Byakuya nodded slightly and said, "I hope you realize things only become tougher from this point on. You're not in the Academy anymore." Raidon reassuringly smiled and stated, "I realize that. I'm ready to take anything on."

The aforementioned white-haired Soul Reaper was in front of Tsu Lung with a proud smile on his face. "If you were to come this far, it seems you have headed my advice. Jūshirō Ukitake." Tsu Lung smiled appreciatively and nodded, "Yes I have."

A short and petite, black-haired Shinigami and the remaining person of the Rookie 5 soundlessly gazed at her with frighteningly similar indifferent countenances. "…Soi Fon…" The captain introduced. "…Yukimano…" The dark emerald-haired female introduced herself back.

"Hm!" Yamamoto grunted in catch everyone's (even some of the disheartened captains without "apprentices") attention, "Well now that you youngsters have gotten yourselves acquainted. You know your task. Go!"

"Yes sir!" With that, the Rookie 5 and five of the captain Flash Stepped out of the vicinity.

**-8****th**** Division Headquarters-**

"Um, Kyōraku-san?" Aizonde said as he obediently followed his superior, "Aren't we suppose to be in the Human World, not here?" Shunsui heartily chuckled and responded, "First of all, we're friends here. Call me "Shunsui." Secondly, we're going to see if someone wants to accompany us. Soundlessly and without anymore words, Aizonde stuffed his hands into his pockets continuing to follow the 8th Division Captain.

"Nanao~chan!" The flamboyant captain suddenly bellowed, "Oh, Nanao~chan! Please come see our newest Soul Reaper~!"

Upon completion of his call, someone Flash Stepped in front of Shunsui and Aizonde. "Yes, Captain Kyōraku?" A feminine voice asked. Her glasses reflected the sunlight of the Seireitei, blocking sight of her beautiful blue eyes. Her black, pinned-back hair swayed slightly in the breeze. Lastly, she was carrying what seemed to be an encyclopedia.

Shunsui placed his hand on the rookie Shinigami's shoulder and said, "Nanao-chan, meet Perfecture Aizonde, one of the most recent graduates to the Shinigami Academy." The female identified as "Nanao" lifted her free hand and adjusted her glasses, destroying the glint and revealing her eyes. "Greetings." Aizonde stated as he removed his right hand from his pocket and extended it to Nanao. "Ise Nanao. Please to meet you." Nanao said as she grasped the rookie's hand for a shake. Gentlemanly, Aizonde guided Nanao's hand to his lips and kissed it.

The 8th Division Captain cracked a sly grin at the happening and chuckled, "Looks like you got a boyfriend, Little Nanao-"

POW!

"How many times have I told you…" The raven-haired lieutenant of the 8th Division growled as she tautly grasped the sides of her encyclopedia, "_Stop _calling me that!" She yelled. Shunsui was down to the ground after being struck in the cranium with Nanao's large textbook. Although taken aback at the rather uncharacteristic display, Aizonde sustained his cool composure and asked, "What is the problem being addressed as "Little Nanao"?"

The pragmatic Soul Reaper diverted her attention from the captain to the rookie. "If you know what's good for you…" Nanao said whilst purposely adjusting her glasses so that Aizonde could perfectly see her sea-colored eyes, "You will not address me as that…" Although unmoved by Nanao's "intimidation", Aizonde decided the most intelligent method at hand was to heed the lieutenant's advice. The dual-blue-headed male approached the raven-haired female casually and used his index finger to push Nanao's glasses back to their original position. "I hear you loud and clear, _Miss _Nanao." Aizonde said with a smirk. "Anyway, let's go. We were assigned a mission." With that, Aizonde began to walk away.

Nanao was left flabbergasted and her stunned stutters proved it. Shunsui, with a large bump on his noggin, saw this and vigorously laughed and said, "Well, you're not so little anymore, Nanao-cha-"

POW!

**-11****th**** Division Headquarters-**

Hono, with his arms crossed over his chest, followed the 11th Division Captain to a dojo. "Kenpachi, why are we here?" He asked disdainfully. "You'll find out soon enough, rookie." The gruff Soul Reaper responded as he slid open the entrance to the dojo.

The two were immediately greeted with all rough-'n'-tough members of the 11th Division sparring to their heart's content. Kenpachi sadistically grinned as he saw the rigorous training taking place, "Hey, that looks like fun. Mind if I join?"

Everyone suddenly froze at the voice of their ruthless captain. "Captain Kenpachi!" The strong Soul Reapers that were just sparring pitilessly were reduced to a mere spectacle of cowardice. Yumichika Ayasegawa, the only person not relegated to a quivering status, glimpsed at the confused newcomer standing beside Kenpachi. "Hm. Finally someone with a tolerable face around here." He commented.

"Boys," The 11th Division Captain proclaimed loudly and roughly patted the back of Hono, "This here is Hono Teiduhura, one of the graduates. He'll be hangin' with us until further notice."

"Sup? Hope you punks are worth my time." Hono arrogantly greeted. "You got alotta nerve, rookie!" A rowdy voice exclaimed getting up Hono's face. The Soul Reaper was bald and his zanpakuto was tied around his waist. "Ya damn right I do! Now get your bald head out of my face!" Hono spat. "Oh hell no!" The hairless Shinigami locked eyes with the flaming-headed tenderfoot, growling menacingly.

"Ikkaku, quit it. That's rather ugly behavior for greeting a rookie." Yumichika stated as he walked over, "My name is Ayasegawa Yumichika. Nice to meet you, Teiduhura-san." "…Dude, you look like some kind of hermaphrodite." Hono commented as he stared at how girly Yumichika seemed. The majority of the 11th Division exploded in laughter. The dark-haired narcissist felt a vein pop in his head out of anger. "Why you…"

"Alright! Listen up!" The 11th Division leader spoke up wildly. All of the Shinigami present ceased their actions and paid much attention. "We have a tradition here at the 11th Division…the rookie's initiation."

Jubilant and crazy grins appeared on the faces of the majority of the rowdy people. Hono was obviously confused in more ways than one, "What initiation?" He became even more confused when everyone started unsheathing their zanapkautos. "The initiation is…" Kenpachi suddenly Flash Stepped behind Hono, "WE GIVE YOU A ROYAL BUTT-KICKING!!!!"

"…Oh shit…"

BOOM!

-**Karakura Town-**

Unlike the last two groups, Tsu Lung & Ukitake, Yukimano & Soi Fon, and finally Byakuya & Raidon went straight to the Human World, Karakura Town to be exact. The three duos stopped on topped of building when they felt their target's Spiritual Pressure was close. "OK, you three, you know how to activate a Gigai, correct?" Byakuya asked, turning to the three graduates. "Yes sir!" Three of the Rookie 5 replied in unison. Ukitake coughed (covering his mouth) and added, "Even in your Gigai state, you can still detect our Spiritual Pressure. We'll follow you around in case Hollows crop up." After the 13th Division Captain finished his addendum, Soi Fon handed all three of them a piece of "candy". "That Soul Candy will allow you to separate from your Gigais in desperate times."

"…Soul Candy…?" the rookie trio questioned, disbelieving of the rather childish designation given to an important item. "Don't ask." The captains pleaded simultaneously.

**-LATER-**

Raidon, Tsu Lung, and Yukimano in their Gigai forms wandering casually and carefully among the streets of Karakura Town. Their Gigai forms were white versions of their Soul Reaper robes (minus any aspects that gave away their true identity). "Hm. I sense the kid, but I don' see him." Raidon announced. "You and the both of us." Yukimano replied. Tsu Lung was curiously looked around the avid environment in interest, "This place is rather lively." She commented. "I'll say. Wouldn't mind living here." Raidon concurred. "Focus, you two." Yukimano cautioned, keeping her eyes forward and intently.

Suddenly, many impediments to the reiatsu they were currently concentrating appeared. "What the?!" Raidon exclaimed in surprise. "Wh-what are all these other Spiritual Pressure we're sensing?!" Tsu Lung stated, quivering slightly. "Come on!" Yukimano commanded as she began to run with her friends trailing behind him.

Their frantic search led them to a plaza. Oddly enough, the plaza was devoid of humans, all except one. A lone youngster stood in the center surrounded by strange white and black creatures. "Are those Hollows?" Tsu Lung observed. "No…their Spiritual Pressure is greater…but they resemble Hollows." Yukimano said, unsure of what exactly was surrounding the child. Their appearance seemed that of Hollows, but more their exact appearance varied to humanoid, animalistic, deformed, demonic, and even angelic. But their exterior colors were combinations of white, black, and silver.

The three Soul Reapers immediately took out the gikongan provided by Soi Fon and put in their mouths. Instantaneously, their actual Shinigami selves separated from their Gigais. As they unsheathed their zanpakuto, Byakuya, Soi Fon, and Ukitake suddenly appeared beside them. "Just as I feared…" Byakuya said grimly, "We were sensing Combinado Hollows."

(A/N: "Combinado" means "Combo" in Spanish. In essence, I'm using the term "Combo-Hollows" to emphasize the point that these species of Hollows consist of more than one (but at most three) Hollows.)

The rookies looked at the 6th Division Captain incredulously, "Combinado Hollows?" Soi Fon proceeded to explain, "Combinado Hollows are multiples Hollows who have somehow merged together into one Hollow. That proves why they were releasing more Spiritual Pressure than usual."

The Combinado Hollows became dangerously close to the child. This prompted the Soul Reapers to act. "Sting all enemies to death!" Soi Fon exclaimed as she charged at the first line of Hollows, "Suzumebachi!" She passed them, swinging her dragger that was attached to her gold gauntlet. A butterfly-shaped stamp appeared as a result from contact and some of the Combinado Hollows were vanquished.

"Scatter….Senbonzakura…" Byakuya coolly said as his zanpakuto began to dissolve into cherry blossoms. Ultimately, the sole remnant of his weapon was the hilt. Before the Combinado Hollows could take advantage of his "opportunity", multiple cherry blossoms suddenly slashed them into numerous pieces. When the vibrant display of an onslaught was completed, Byakuya's zanpakuto rematerialized to its normal state.

Ukitake concurrently killed two Combinado Hollows and directed his attention to the three rookies, "Get the child! Hurry!" "Yes, sir!" Tsu Lung, Yukimano, and Raidon charged straight through the crowd of evil spirits with the captains making sure the latter's attention was on them. Eventually, the three Shinigamis made it to the cowering youngster. "We're here, kid," Raidon consoled as he wrapped an arm around the person, "no need to worry now."

"You would think that, wouldn't you?"

Unexpectedly, silver beams of reiatsu rained down toward the center (where the child, Raidon, Yukimano, and Tsu Lung were). The Soul Reapers were struck with the high energy attack because they were protecting the child. Startled by the sudden ambush, the Captains halted their action and redirected their attention from the Combinado Hollows to the new problem at hand.

Sadly, the ambush left the three members of the Rooke 5 on the ground; the sheer power even imploded the ground beneath them. "What is the meaning of this?!" Soi Fon exclaimed in shock. Byakuya then sensed another high reiatsu-induced being among them, "We are not alone…"

Then, proving Byakuya's instincts true, a booming/static-like noise sounded as a strange character appeared behind the unsuspecting child. The person was garnished with a white jacket with black triangles running across the torso area, a black sash, a white hakama with a black stripe running down the left portion of it, and black and white boots. Adorning his hands were off-white, bony gloves and, on his face covering his emerald, were modernized silver glasses with a half rim design.

Now that the person was adjacent to them, the three captains could instantly guess who they were dealing with. "You're an Arrancar…" Byakuya said, glaring indifferently at the supposed Arrancar. The shady character's gloved right hand gripped the flailing child mercilessly. "That I am." He said snapping the middle and index fingers of his left hand. More Combinado Hollows appeared, rising intangibly from the ground. "Farewell." The Arrancar said as he suddenly disappeared with the child.

"Hey!" Soi Fon yelled out, "Get back here!" No use. He was gone, and the Combinado Hollows lunged at the captains. Although they were prepared, the first line of Hollows was subjugated swiftly. Two more Captains suddenly Flash Stepped into view. "Sorry we're late!" Kenpachi, one of the two captains, apologized and he gruesomely lacerated more modified Hollows. "Had some prior business to take care of!" Shunsui, the other captain, added as he produced sharp gales of wind to slice up a good number of Combinado Hollows. "That's always your excuse…" Ukitake grumbled as he shook his head and coughed.

Nanao, Yachiru, Hono, and Aizonde tend to their unconscious comrades while the Captains dealt with the remaining Combinado Hollows. As this happened, another Combinado Hollow that actually was human stood far away on top of a building, watching intently. He somewhat resembled the Arrancar the Soul Reapers just met, but his outfit was silver and more form-fitting. He possessed a bar-like visor across his eyes. The visor had a thin black line that cinematically displayed blue smoke inside it. His attention was mainly focused on the Rookie 5. _"Hmm…I wonder. Could an experiment be made with those Soul Reapers…?"_ He contemplated.


	3. Seized

**Disclaimer: **Bleach is copyrighted by Tite Kubo (characters, series, and concepts). The only elements that shall be exclusive to me will be my OCs and their respective original content.

**Seized**

"I see…" Yamamoto's disappointed yet understanding voice said.

The Rookie 5, the five Division Captains, and the two lieutenants recently returned to the Soul Society to announce the grim news they had in tow. They respectfully stood in a horizontal line, awaiting anymore words from their ancient master.

The Captain-Commander sighed and stated, "Go back to your posts and await further orders. I will have to contemplate on these matters before I can distribute any orders."

"Yes sir."

**-LATER-**

"OK, first of all…," Raidon said as his crew aimlessly traversed the safer sections of the Rukon Districts. The electric blond leader of the Rookie 5 heatedly glared at Hono and Aizonde and shouted, "Where the hell were you two when we headed you!?!?"

Aizonde stopped walking and the kicked the imaginary dust on the ground, "Kyōraku-san and Miss Nanao honestly did have some last-minute things to take care of. As a result I was stuck with them." He said. "I got marauded by assholes…" Hono grumbled recalling the devastating amounts of pain the 11th Division Shinigamis bestowed him.

"Regardless, you two, we're the Rookie 5, we always stick together! If you had the chance, you should've left and done your mission." Raidon reprimanded. Aizonde stuffed his hands into his pockets and apologized, "Right. I'll try to make it up next time."

Hono, on the other hand, did not take this "recommendation" too lightly. "Listen here, Raidon." He growled, "We were ordered to stay with our assigned Captains. So, if we had to do what they wanted, then so be it. Besides, you three could've handled yourselves!" Raidon's crimson eyes glared at his fiery friend and countered, "Do even remember the vow we made…? Have you lost sight of that!?" "No…I remember that vow as if we made it yesterday." Hono replied.

_Raidon, Tsu Lung, Yukimano, Aizonde and Hono stood outside the Shinigami Academy along with many other recently arrived souls. This was their first day at school, and they wanted to make a good impression. _

_Their future Soul Reaper robes were replaced with the Shinigami Academy uniforms (Raidon, Aizonde, and Hono possessed blue hakama while Yukimano and Tsu Lung possessed red hakama). "There it is." Raidon said blissfully. "It's amazing…" Tsu Lung commented, awe-stricken at the marvelous architecture that stood in front of them. "Heh. No backing down now, guys." Hono said with a grin, "It's going up from here on out."_

"_Let's revolutionize that statement of yours, Hono." Yukimano stated. Her friends looked at her questioningly. The dark emerald-haired female extended her hand out to her friends, backhand showing. "Let's make a vow," she stated, "A vow to always be there for each other, to protect each other, and evolve together." _

_With wide and jubilant smiles, Hono, Tsu Lung ,Aizonde and Raidon placed their hands on top of Yukimano's. "Done deal." They simultaneously announced. Their pledge, signaled by this hand gesture, transcended and was now practically written in blood. "Students! Enter the Academy!" A loud, domineering demanded._

_The future Rookie 5 nodded at each other and rushed in…Together._

"Do you get what I'm saying now?" Raidon reiterated, "You should've been there for us!" Hono scoffed agitatedly, turned around, and walked away, "I don't have to listen to this. I was doing what I was told…"

"What are you talking about?! Since when did you obey orders?!" Raidon shouted back in response. Hono paused after that and shot back around and glared at his so-called leader, "OK, you're pissing me off now, Raidon! I get not helping you out, but now you just went too goddamn far!" "That's enough!" Yukimano screeched authoritatively as she got in-between Raidon and Hono before a fight could elicit, "You're both acting really stupid now. Cut this out!"

"Well then Raidon should know when to keep his mouth closed!" Hono exclaimed. "What did you say?! Hono, stop acting like you are the best and toughest around here!" Raidon spat back. Aizonde soundlessly stayed out of the disagreement and watched from the background. He was never the person to argue or stop one; he preferred to stay out of things like this.

Tsu Lung watched in horror as her closest friends (excluding Aizonde) quarrel and yell as if they were mortal adversaries. She couldn't bear this anymore. She had to speak up, something that contradicted her timidity.

"QUIET!!!!"

Her voice echoed throughout the vicinity, causing many Hell Butterflies to fly away scared from their original location. The sheer authoritativeness from her usually soft-spoken voice immediately quelled the conflict within her friends. Even the nonchalant Aizonde became electrified at the action. "Look at you guys! You're arguing over something so stupid!" She yelled with hurt evident in her briste eyes, "Please stop…our friendship shouldn't end over a petty argument…" With that, Tsu Lung looked down as tears began to fall. "Oh, Tsu Lung…" Yukimano whispered feeling very regretful and apologetic. She went over and hugged her. All negative emotions vanished into thin air.

Hono turned away and walked off once more. "Where are you heading off to?" Raidon questioned. "To cool off, we need it." Hono answered, Flash Stepping away.

**-Elsewhere-**

The flaming-headed Soul Reaper of the Rookie 5 sauntered aimlessly by himself. The argument happened so quickly and ended so abruptly that it almost overwhelmed him. _"Maybe I am too smart-mouthed for my own good." _Hono deliberated. An exasperate sigh escaped his lungs when he stopped walking.

"Hey, you lost or something?" A voice inquired from behind. Hono turned around to see a red-headed male with the usual Soul Reaper robes on. He also possessed a Lieutenant's Badge on his arm. "Who's asking?" Hono rejoined. "Abarai Renji, lieutenant of the 6th Division." Renji introduced himself, pointing a confident thumb at himself. "Teiduhura Hono." Hono introduced.

"Wait. Aren't you one of those graduates?" Renji asked curiously as he approached the person in question. "Yeah? What about it?" Hono questioned crossing his arms. "Nothing. Good job though." The redheaded Soul Reaper remarked. "Thanks, I guess," Hono replied, "Now what do you want?"

"Well, I was on my way to meet up with some friends of mine, but you seemed lost." Renji replied in explanation. "I'm not lost, just getting some fresh air." Hono stated. "Wanna hang with me?" The lieutenant proposed. "Sure, why not?" The fiery Shinigami of the Rookie 5 responded. With that, both Soul Reapers Flash Stepped away.

**-Kuchiki Family District-**

Renji and Hono made it to the Kuchiki Family district of the Seireitei. "Hono, be careful around here." Renji advised, "The people around here are strict as hell." "Whatever…"

After covering a minute sum of distance via walking, the clatter of a vocal dispute sounded. "Oh no…" Renji groaned in annoyance. "…What the hell?" Hono commented. When the two Soul Reapers managed to get close enough, they saw two more Shinigamis arguing; one was a female with black hair and the other was male with orange hair.

"Oi! Rukia! Ichigo! What are you two arguing about now!?" Renji questioned, hollering out to his friends. The squabble, thankfully, was rectified upon the 6th Division's lieutenant's intervention. The orange-haired male "Ichigo" looked at the redhead and said, "Well, I-" The raven-haired female "Rukia" interrupted him, "Don't even try to make yourself seem to have the better opinion, Kurosaki!"

"Calm down, guys, show some respect for the rookie." Renji said. When he pointed out the fact a beginner was in their presence, Ichigo and Rukia rerouted their notice to the flaming-headed Shinigami. "Yo, name's Teiduhura Hono." Hono greeted. The two newly-familiarized Soul Reapers Flash Stepped to where Hono and Renji were. "Nice to meet you, " Rukia remarked, using a more calm and sweet façade instead of the argumentative one she just displayed, "I'm Kuchiki Rukia." Ichigo's expression had hardly altered but introduced himself nonetheless, "Kurosaki Ichigo."

Renji enfolded his arm around Hono's shoulders welcomingly, "Get this. Hono is the one of the recent graduates from the Academy!" He announced. The graduate's grumbling of "get your arm off me" was drowned out by Rukia's next statement. "Oh, congratulations! Hope you've liked being a Shinigami so far." She said. "It's…interesting." Hono remarked nonchalantly. "Interesting?" Ichigo spoke, almost in an objective tone, "Like hell it is. This job is tough." The female Kuchiki family member shot a glare at her friend and reproached, "Are you trying to scare the rookie?" "Like I care. Quite frankly, I'm glad Mr. Carrot Top told me straight-up." Hono spoke in.

Ichigo felt an anger mark appeared on his forehead and growled audibly, "Mr. Carrot Top?!" Hono smirked at the Substitute Soul Reaper and replied, "Yeah, don't like it? Deal with it." Rukia sighed exasperatedly as Renji was currently laughing hysterically.

"Alright, don't make me kick your ass!" Ichigo threatened as he warningly approached Hono. "Is that a threat?" Hono countered retaining his arrogant smirk. "That's enough, yo-" Rukia's protest was suddenly stopped cold when she sensed some unusual reiatsu. Renji felt the same sensation and immediately ceased his laughter, "You sense that too?" He questioned. "Sense what?" Hono and Ichigo naively responded. "Just follow us!" Rukia demanded as she Flash Stepped away. Her accompanying Shinigamis soon followed suit.

**-Farther Rukon Districts-**

"Um, Rukia?" Ichigo spoke adjusting the bandaged-clothed cleaver on his back, "You sure we didn't take a wrong turn?"

The Farther Districts of the Rukon District were portions that were, unfortunately, decomposing into slums. Decrepit and ancient buildings seemed hardly touched and scarcely sanitized. The environs appeared to be only useful for rodents and insects. Illegible writings and symbols and unknown, gooey liquids descended down alley walls. One could easily speculate that crime and lawlessness ran rampant here. To top it all off, the feeling of malice and insecurity reigned supreme.

"I'm positive. I sense the Spiritual Pressure in this vicinity." Rukia responded more focused on the matter than the awful surroundings. "What a dump…" Hono commented. He was highly amazed something of this grotesque degree was apart of the Soul Society, "Why is something like this still here? Can't you tear this crapheap down?"

Rukia shook her head, "No one has thought of it nor no one will." Renji then added, "Besides, believe it or not, people actually live here." Hono looked at Renji disbelievingly, "Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying," Renji assured, "You know the 80th District we passed not too long ago? Captain Kenpachi came from there."

"No way…"

"The Spiritual Pressure's moving!" Rukia exclaimed and proceeded to increase her pace to the point of sprinting. Everyone else followed swiftly.

Finally, the group of Soul Reapers made it to a cliff. They were immediately greeted with the scene of a humanoid figure and approximately seven Combinado Hollows whose body masses varied. Interestingly, the bigger Combinado Hollows had four very familiar Shinigamis in their grasps.

The humanoid character was revealed to be the same Arrancar from Karakura Town. "Good, that seems to be all we need." He said and tapped the air in front of him, "We're out of here." After he tapped the air facing the cliff, a large breach in the air opened. The rift contained a garbled, wavy-looking grey background.

"Hey!" Ichigo yelled, "Hold on a minute!" The Substitute Shinigami's demand prevented the Hollows from proceeding. "Your Spiritual Pressure's awfully strange…" Rukia remarked cautiously glancing at the group of modified Hollows, "you and your Hollows…"

Then realization suddenly hit them.

"You're one of those Arrancar bastards!" Renji exclaimed unsheathing his sword. "So Aizen wants to play, huh?" Ichigo said as the wraps around his zanpakuto undid themselves. The Arrancar simply looked at them, "Aizen…that name is familiar, yet I could care less about him." He said.

Hono, having no prior awareness of the said matter, questioned, "Wait. What are Arrancars and who is this Aizen guy?" Rukia answered, "Arrancars are Hollows who have had their masks removed and gained powers similar to Soul Reapers. Aizen is one of our former captains who is the leader of them." "Man, this shit is tough…" Hono remarked as he grappled the handles of his dual zanpakuto. When he did, he finally perceived why the captives seemed so familiar.

They were his friends.

"You-you….you asshole!" Hono exclaimed spitefully and charged head-on, "Give me back my friends!" Out of the blue, a red blast of reiatsu exploded out of the nub of the group of Hollows, and it was targeting Hono. A dust-filled bang result on impact. "Hono!" Ichigo cried out, unable to decipher the location of his associate.

When the cloud of sandy brown subsided, a diminutive crater was directly in front of the would-be-deceased Shinigami. Renji's Shikai, Zabimaru, was extended and flexibly wrapped around Hono. "Geez, rookie, are you trying to get yourself killed?!" Renji scolded.

Then, the dimensional rift proceeded to engulf the Arrancar, Combinado Hollows, and the unconscious Soul Reapers. "Hey, wait!" Ichigo demanded as he charged at the sealing fissure. "Remember my name," the Arrancar spoke, "Asukake Hutike." After he introduced himself, the rift completely closed.

"Damn it!" Ichigo shouted, stopping right where Hutike use to be. "He escaped…" Rukia said grimly. Renji growled and reverted Zabimaru into its normal state. Because of such, Hono was released.

The rookie Soul Reaper was distraught and his blank expression proved it. His friends were just taken away…the reality sunk in…his friends were stolen. He collapsed to his knees and held himself up by his hands. "Raidon…Tsu Lung…Aizonde...Yukimano…" He said in a depressed tone. Ichigo approached him consolingly and reassured, "We'll get 'em back. Without a doubt."

Hono, maintaining his current position, nodded appreciatively. Before he stood up, he noticed something concealed by the palms of his hands. Four necklaces colored blue, yellow, Alice-blue, and silver; the necklace contains a symbol of waves, lightning, a crescent moon, and a gust of wind respectively.

He recognized their purposes immediately, "Our…charms of friendship…"


	4. Fateful Flashbacks

**Disclaimer: **Bleach is copyrighted by Tite Kubo (characters, series, and concepts). The only elements that shall be exclusive to me will be my OCs and their respective original content.

**Fateful Flashbacks**

"Four out of five our recent graduates were abducted!?" Yamamoto's usual calm and sagacious voice roared disbelievingly.

"Yeah, Gramps, before we could do anything they were gone." Ichigo said as he stood in line with Rukia, Renji, and a disheartened Hono. Yamamoto calmed himself back into his usual disposition and stated, "I want all of you on standby. I will send Captains after them; if one of the captains approaches you and requisitions a survey, do not hesitate to distribute your knowledge. Dismissed!"

Ichigo, Renji, and Rukia turned foot and moved on to leave. However, Hono stood cemented in his place by his emotions. "…Standby? How come I can't be involved?" Hono questioned. Yamamoto indifferently gazed at the rookie, "This is out of your power-"

"BUT IT CONCERNS MY BEST FRIENDS, YOU OLD HAG!" Hono suddenly screamed out in objection. Renji and Rukia immediately Flash Stepped to Hono and began to forcibly guide him out. "Don't be stupid, Hono!" Rukia reprimanded. "That's the Captain-Commander you're talking to, you know!" Renji chastised. The two managed to direct Hono out of the 1st Division Headquarters. The ancient Captain-Commander scoffed, "Youngsters these days, don't know their place…"

Ichigo, Rukia, Renji, and Hono stationed themselves at the feet of the headquarters. Hono sat on the nearest solid object and huffed in frustration. "You need to calm yourself, Hono." Rukia stated. "Yeah, man, rookies like you can get executed for disrespecting Captains." Renji advised.

The graduate was not paying attention whatsoever; his mind was focused on the objects in his hand. Ichigo noticed and peeked over his shoulder to look. The aforesaid necklaces were lying his palm along with a red one possessing a sun symbol. "What are those?" Ichigo asked. "…Symbols of our friendship…"

_The homeless vagabonds designated Raidon, Aizonde, Hono, Tsu Lung, and Yukimano loitered around the private lake spot, discovered by the blue-haired child himself. _

_The ones who possessed no prior knowledge of the location gazed at it in absolute awe. "I stumbled upon this place by accident. Kept it secret ever since and I'm proud of it too." Aizonde said as he glided his hand across the beautiful surface of the sun-soaked lake. "I commend you, Aizonde." Yukimano complimented as she crouched beside him. _

_Raidon and Hono were currently feasting on the berries sprouted from the bushes outlining the perimeter of the body of water. "These fruit are so fresh and ripe!" Hono commented as he practically stuffed his oral canal with a multitude of berries. "I'll say!" Raidon agreed, eating the berries straight off their branches. Before they proceeded to deplete another bush, they noticed Tsu Lung on the sandy "dock" of the lake. "Tsu Lung?" Hono asked._

_The multiracial orphan then spoke, "Hey, guys, come here for a sec!" She requested. Inquisitively, the other four strays gathered around where Tsu Lung was. She then put several things around everyone's necks. "What's this?" Aizonde inquired lifting the resting emblem off his sternum. It was a necklace, and his necklace was blue and possessed lines reminiscent of waves on the crest._

_Tsu Lung lifted hers up and placed the loop of her Alice-blue necklace through her head and around her neck. "Well…I thought I could create these necklaces from all the stuff I gathered for the majority of my life," she explained, "originally, this was for Yukimano and I, but since you guys came and helped us, I made some for all of us." Hono cracked a smile and looked at his red necklace once more, "Not bad, Tsu Lung." He commented. _

"_I thought we could use these as symbols of friendship." Tsu Lung spoke again. "That's a great idea!" Yukimano exclaimed in joy. "Guys, from here on out," Raidon addressed, stretching out his lightning emblem, "this will be symbol of our friendship, we will survive!" Happily, Raidon's vagrant buddies extended their respective crests._

_Another chapter of friendship has been added to the book of these unique strays…_

"Whoa…" Ichigo liberated a thunderstruck exhale from his respiratory system. "That's why." Hono stated putting all five necklaces into his sleeve. Ichigo could comprehend Hono's situation because there were many occasions where his closest friends were in mortal danger and they were counting on him to rescue them. "That settles it," Ichigo suddenly announced, reaching a conclusion, "We're going to find your friends." Hono turned his head to Ichigo incredulously, "Seriously?"

"Ichigo, we had a direct order straight from the Captain-Commander!" Rukia intervened frantically. "Rukia, Hono's friends are in danger, and he wants to save them. And we're sure as hell going to," Ichigo replied, "Besides, I never did follow Gramps' orders."

Renji understandingly nodded and stated, "Count me in." Rukia sighed in defeat and softly said, "Fine…" Hono finally stood up from his seat and appreciatively uttered to the trio, "Thanks, guys…"

**-Hueco Mundo: Unknown Area-**

Hueco Mundo…the eerie and desolate habitation of the Hollows…

The dead breeze swayed on the surface of the Sahara-like sand, carrying white speckles of dirt in their clutches. All was silent and still…too much….too much that something portentously ominous was foreboding…

And to corroborate this ambiance….aim your attention towards the dome, metallic structure gracing the bleak horizon.

The dark grey architecture was a standard dome with its rims sealed into the sandy ground. Four entrances points, each complimentary to one of the four cardinal directions, protruded from the broad rim.

Deeper within the confines of this structural design, almost 3000 feet below the surface, belies an unnervingly darkened laboratory. The only forms of light were the bright computers and gadgets scattered across the cylindrically-walled room.

A sole person intently scrutinized the progress of his mechanical ministrations; numerous quantities of tubes and wires were connected to four examination tables. The person approached the scene closer, his computer light revealed him to be Hutike. The aforementioned cables, cords, and tubes were attached to unconscious Raidon, Aizonde, Tsu Lung, and Yukimano.

These artificial tendrils were originating from darkened containments, apparently sapping something from it. _"The process is almost complete…" _Hutike mentally stated.

Shortly afterward, another entity suddenly appeared behind him. "Master Hutike…" the person, the only human Combinado Hollow in existence, said. The Arrancar turned around to face his most trustworthy assistant, "Usude, impeccable timing." He commented. Predictably, Usude stepped closer into the machine-fabricated light, revealing himself to be the person that spied on the Soul Reapers from Karakura Town.

"How is the procedure going, sir?" Usude asked watching the comatose Shinigami currently falling prey to his master's experiment. "It is almost finished," Hutike answered and then remarked, "I must commend you, my assistant, I did not know that these Soul Reapers would be of so much use." Usude adjusted his visor slightly and replied, "Well, if you had not sent me to assess those Shinigamis' powers, I would not have."

Hutike turned back to the experiment at hand but continued to speak, "An ingenious tactic: abduct Shinigamis and have them undergo Hollowfication. Yet, the Hollows used are my Combinado Hollows, not regular Menos, Gillians, or even Vasto Lordes." The scientific Arrancar gazed at the confinements in which the tubes were debilitating Spiritual Energy from. Suffering Combinado Hollows were inside their confines, slowly withering away as a result of their fabricator's experiments.

"As a result, the Hollowfication process is more potent. The victim is more prone to insanity and possession, and they more susceptible to _my_ will because they are being infected by _my_ creatures." Hutike chuckled, but no one could tell if he was chuckling victoriously, sadistically, or even joyously. "To think, my motives rooted from Aizen doing away with me."

Usude looked at his master curiously, "Oh? May I inquire what exactly transpired, sir?" Finally, Hutike averted his attention away from his nearly finished trial. He gazed down to his right forearm as if something was formerly there. "Only because it is you."

_An ebony tattoo of the number nine graced the right forearm of Hutike, the then Noveno Espada. A malicious and triumphant smirk curved upon his lips as he recalled the day Aizen accepted him as one of the Espada. Although that event was now recorded history, it continued to replay in his mind; he was that proud of himself._

_In the meantime, his recollections were dismissed when he sensed someone approaching him. "Yes, Master Gin?" Hutike asked. Gin Ichimaru, from behind, approached the Noveno Espada with his everlasting grin present. "Lord Aizen can see you now." The former captain announced. Another grin appeared the promoted Arrancar's face, "Very well then." _

_Gin proceeded to saunter past Hutike and lead the way to Aizen's quarters. "Here you are." Gin announced stopping at the entrance to Aizen's chambers. "Many thanks, Master Gin." Hutike thanked as he confidently entered. _

_Sōsuke Aizen, not sitting on his towering throne like usual, stood in the middle of his widespread quarters. "Your timing was admirable, Hutike." Aizen commented, "I wanted to speak to you, and here you are, wanting to speak to me." The Noveno Espada respectfully bowed in the presence of his ultimate superior and said, "I'll regard that as a compliment, Master Aizen." "You should. Now what is it?"_

_The Noveno Espada pressed his gloved (A/N: If you hadn't figured this out yet, Hutike's gloves are the remnants of him being a Hollow.) thumb and index finger and released an echoing snap. Around both Aizen and he, Hollows, none like Menos or even Arrancars, appeared rising from the tiled ground. "Master Aizen, behold my latest creation…the Combinado Hollows," Hutike spoke gleefully, "Combinado Hollows are multiple Hollows, ranging from Gillians to Vasto Lordes, that I have genetically melded into one being."_

_Aizen, indifferently, responded, "I see. What of them?" Hutike looked at his leader and replied, "Think of the possibilities, Master Aizen. Combinado Hollows, with your ingenuity, could be revolutionized into Arrancars! We could have a grand army of the most powerful Hollows in existence and champion the Soul Society!"_

"_As tempting as that is, Hutike…" Aizen said. Hutike looked at his leader questioningly and awaited a response. "Shatter… __Kyōka Suigetsu."_

_In the most unpredictable and unexpected turn of events, the former Gotei 13 Captain unsheathed his zanpakuto. Instantly, Hutike and the present Combinado Hollows were sent into a dimension of dementia. "M-Master Aizen?!" Hutike exclaimed in fear, nervousness, and shock. The Combinado Hollows gathered around their creator protectively. However, at speeds quicker than a millisecond, the Combinado Hollows were immediately slain. "My creations!" Hutike screamed hysterically._

"_I have no interest in _your _desires, my 9__th__ Espada. You may have created those Combinado Hollows, as you call them, for me, but their usefulness will only be short-lived," Aizen's voice ubiquitously spoke in the warped dimension. "Their flaw is that they consist of multiple Hollows, those Hollows are required by me to artificially create Arrancars." Suddenly, in the horizon of the dimension, a black and blue cube suddenly appeared. Hutike gazed at the item, still thunderstruck at the event at hand._

"_Instead of waiting for Hollows to have their masks removed, I have developed a way to forcibly remove them and even manually create Arrancars." The cube displayed the entire process of a Hollow experiencing synthetic Shinigamification. The Hollow's mask was disintegrated and its inhuman body suddenly started to shift. It eventually became upright in a human posture. Hutike could only watch in awe at the cleverness of his leader._

"_Now for what I want of you…" Aizen spoke again, once again catching the utmost interest of his follower."Shatter…" _

_The illusionary dimension dispersed completely. But, unfortunately for Hutike, the second it did he was brutally stabbed in his chest. The Noveno Espada began to suffocate on his blood as it filled up his lungs and poured out of his wound. Aizen emotionlessly retracted his zanpakuto from Hutike's body, watching as he fell to the ground. Hutike weakly looked up to Aizen and interrogated, "Aizen…you…." His eyes burned with hatred. All forms of respect and admiration were depleted when his _former _leader's sword pierced his skin._

"_You have outlived your usefulness. Thus, you have been replaced." Aizen announced sheathing his zanpakuto. "By…who…?" Hutike questioned. He was soon answered when a boot stamped against his face. Before going unconscious, Hutike could see the white skin, aqua green eyes, spiky raven hair, and large frilly collar of his replacement…_

"It was because of that travesty, I concluded the only possible way to invoke my vengeance was to outdo Aizen!" Hutike said, somehow pumped full of vigor from the flashback. "With the assistance of my loyal armada of Combinado Hollows, my machiavellian objectives shall triumph!"

Usude only stared at his slowly-becoming-megalomaniacal master. But, he then noticed the progress of the Combinado Hollowfication. "Sir, it is complete." The humanoid Combo-Hollow announced. Clearing his throat and regaining his former façade, Hutike diverted his concentration to the examination tables. Raidon, Aizonde, Tsu Lung, and Yukimano's Soul Reaper attire were now a complete mixture of silver and white. Their skins were also the same color combination. Lastly, their hair colors were a dark grey.

"Perfection." Hutike commented and then turned to Usude. "Don't forget to check the development of the Advanced Combinado Hollows." The former Noveno Espada instructed. "Yes, Master Hutike." With that, Usude walked out leaving his master to relish his recent success.

**-Outside-**

Ichigo, Renji, Rukia, and Hono stood in front of the large structure. "They're in there." Hono announced. "And there's multiple entrances." Renji added. "Our only option is to split up and find them." Rukia stated suggestively (in terms of recommendation). "Well, then let's do it." Ichigo said as he sprinted towards the northern entrance. Nodding to each other, Rukia, Renji, and Hono separated and entered the south, east, and west entrances respectively.

As Hono dashed his way into the western entry, he grasped all five of the friendship necklaces determinedly, _"When this is over…we _all _leaving together!"_


	5. Unleash! The Zanpakuto Deities!

**Disclaimer: **Bleach is copyrighted by Tite Kubo (characters, series, and concepts). The only elements that shall be exclusive to me will be my OCs and their respective original content.

**Unleash! The Zanpakuto Deities!**

**-Western Entrance-**

Hono continued to hurry through the hallway of the Western Entrance. He encountered many Combinado Hollows who categorized him as an intruder. Their fates were all the same; annihilation by his sealed zanpakuto. "Where are they?!" Hono bellowed as he traversed down a lengthy staircase. When he reached the foot of the downward stairway, he entered a widespread, squared, and empty room. Hono resumed his sprinting whilst looking around the excessively spacious environ. "Wow, a large room and not a damn thing in it." Hono pointed out critically.

"Why the rush?" A warped, sinister voice questioned jokingly.

The flaming-headed rookie stopped dead in his tracks. Although the voice was modified, he could recognize the tone beneath all the smoke and mirrors. "Raidon?!" Hono exclaimed in inquiry. "Close…" The voice answered, "but not close enough, look in front of you."

The graduate did as he was instructed and his eyes widened at the sight: a grey and silver version of his best friend Raidon. "Yo, Hono." The entity spoke letting an evil grin adorn his face. "…You're…you're not Raidon!" Hono yelled, "Who the hell are you?!" The unidentified person simply laughed manically before answering, "I told you…you're _half_ right! I am Raidon, but then again I am _not _Raidon! Perhaps a Hollow best conveys the idea."

Hono felt a bead of nervous sweat cascade down the side of his face. "A…H-Hollow?" Hono repeated in disbelievingly. _"That bastard Hutike Hollowfied my friends?!?!" _He bellowed mentally. "I know what you're thinking, Hono…" Hollow Raidon said reaching behind his back to grab the handle of a zanpakuto, "Yes, your friend has been Hollowfied, but not my regular standards, by Combinado Hollow standards! Not only does he have to endure a Hollow's presence in his inner world, he has to deal with _two_!" Hollow Raidon proceeded to chortle crazily as he fully unsheathed an ash-colored zanpakuto, "And we will take over this body for our own!"

"Like hell you will!" Hono objected as he unsheathed his dual yatagans. He then charged at Hollow Raidon full force.

**-Northern Entrance-**

Ichigo made it to a similarly-designed area but this room was triangular-shaped. "Heh. So you're going to be my opponent?" A cool yet warped voice inquired. Ichigo immediately become alarmed and unsheathed his zanpakuto, Zangetsu. "Who's there?!" The orange-haired Substitute Soul Reaper surveyed. "Right in your face."

Suddenly, a grey and silver version of Aizonde appeared directly in front of Ichigo. Startled, the latter scurried backwards, "D-don't ever do that again!" He demanded. Hollow Aizonde grinned and flipped his dark grey hair, "Why not?" "Because I said so, damn it!" Ichigo retorted and then asked, "Who the hell are you anyway?!"

"Who am I, you ask…" Hollow Aizonde grabbed the handle of his ash-colored zanpakuto and removed it from its scabbard. "I am many things, dear Shinigami. I am Hono's friend, Aizonde. I am his Inner Combinado Hollow, I am…" In an invisible flash, Hollow Aizonde unexpectedly rematerialized behind Ichigo, "YOUR MURDERER!" He screamed psychotically and vertically swung his sword at Ichigo.

Expeditiously, the latter rotated around and guarded the strike with his sword; however, the sheer force Hollow Aizonde supplemented his swing with caused Ichigo skid backwards unwillingly.

Ichigo attempted to exert enough counterforce in order to stop himself from skidding, but Hollow Aizonde's constant pressure overwhelmed his. _"D-Damn it, this guy is strong as my Inner Hollow!" _Ichigo thought. "Hmph!" Hollow Aizonde surrendered the enjoyment of the deadlock and backed away. Ichigo finally was able to reacquire his composure upon such.

However, before Ichigo could even react…

"Hado #90: Komamura!" Hollow Aizonde appeared behind Ichigo and extended his finger at him. Then, a black cube engendered around the Substitute Shinigami. "What the hell?!" Ichigo exclaimed as darkness inundated his vision and isolated him from the outside world. Hollow Aizonde grinned barbarously and snapped his fingers, wishing to finish this game.

**-Eastern Entrance-**

"Roar, Zabimaru!"

A long, flexible sword whipped and cracked upon the surfaces of the widespread hexagonal room. Bangs and crumbling sounds meant the Shikai was destroying the surroundings. Metallic clangs meant contact upon another foreign metallic object.

Hollow Yukimano, moving in composed and sinuous movement, elegantly evaded all whips and swings of Renji's long-range Shikai. "What is the problem, Renji?" Hollow Yukimano teased, "Afraid to hit a woman?"

"Hollows aren't women!" Renji hollered as he once again swung Zabimaru with great vigor. Hollow Yukimano patiently abided for the opportunity she prepared to surface. Zabimaru neared her, yet it was this alarming position that the Hollow had strategized for. She blocked the sword with her sealed ash-colored zanpakuto, raised her leg high enough, and stomped onto the blade.

Renji saw this and desperately endeavored to recall his blade, but Hollow Yukimano's enhanced strength prevented such from happening. Using the zanpakuto's length as a guide to its owner, Hollow Yukimano speedily hurried up its length. Ultimately, she arrived at Renji's position and swiftly slashed his torso. The 6th Division lieutenant seethed in pain as blood spewed from his wound.

Hollow Yukimano jumped back and extended her hand as red Spiritual Energy began to charge accrue in front of her. "Time to finish you! Cero!" She said and dispensed the powerful amassment of glowing crimson reiryoku.

**-Southern Entrance-**

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"

Rukia extended her zanpakuto, in an upward position, out in front of her. She then turned it, tracing the circumference of a circle in a counter-clockwise motion. In the midst of its rotation, the blade, hilt and crossguard's coloration evolved into complete beautiful snow-white. The tsuba of Sode no Shirayuki transformed into a hollow snowflake-like circle and a white ribbon appeared on the pommel from the end of the handle.

Hollow Tsu Lung, her countenance unimpressed and apathetic, simply stared half-eyed as Rukia initiated her renowned Shikai. "Are you though yet?" She questioned in a bored tone.

"Tsugi no mai! Hakuren!" As Rukia said the name of her dance, she punctured the ground, creating a large ice circle. Then, she punctured the ground directly in front of her four times, generating the outline of a semicircle. Holding up her blade and getting into a battle stance, ice particles began to collaborate in her blade from the semicircle. "Take this!" She swung her zanpakuto and a mighty white wave of ice appeared and surged straight to Hollow Tsu Lung.

Her expression never altered as the Rukia's Next Dance collided against her and the preponderance of the area around her. Rukia victoriously smirked, "Got her…"

A thick cloud of white mist resulted from the explosion caused by Rukia's attack. The Kuchiki family member closely peered into the mist to ascertain the status of her opponent. Slowly but surely, a full-figured shadow appeared in the mist. Rukia gasped in shock, "N-no….way!"

The mist completely subsided as Hollow Tsu Lung, still maintaining her impassive physiognomy, said, "You got nothing…." A clear rectangular energy barrier stood in front of her. "Bakudo #81: Danku."

Rukia's eyes slightly trembled as her shock increased, _"Im-impossible…! Tsu Lung is merely a rookie! How could she use such a high-level Bakudo?!" _Rukia thought. She then realized that she was not exactly combating Tsu Lung, but just a Hollow. _"Oh..right. I'm fighting a Hollow. But still, to perform that is just amazing. I'm glad she doesn't know her Shikai." _

"I grow tired of this game." Hollow Tsu Lung announced as she clutched the hilt of her zanpakuto and removed it from its scabbard. She held up her rapier and started to emit a frightening amount of Spiritual Pressure. "Time to finish this. Be proud that you will be the first person to witness by Shikai…"

**-Western Entrance-**

Hono and Hollow Raidon clashed swords with each other, resulting in another deadlock. The Hollowfied Soul Reaper guffawed and stated, "We're evenly matched! I must say, I'm impressed." Hono narrowed his onyx eyes at the Hollow's statement. Unexpectedly, Hollow Raidon disappeared and reappeared away from the flaming-headed Soul Reaper. Hono continued to have his guard up.

"That means I'll have to give myself an edge in this bout." Hollow Raidon grinned viciously as he channeled his Spiritual Pressure.

**-Northern Entrance-**

Black spokes injected themselves into the black cube. Komamura supposedly had performed its task. "Heh, game over for you, pal." Hollow Aizonde said and he turned around and proceeded to walk away.

"BANKAI!"

The black cube suddenly shattered open as Hollow Aizonde's eyes widened in horror. "What the!?" He exclaimed, turning around abruptly. "Tetsu Zangetsu!" Ichigo, pristine and spared of injuries, landed in front of Hollow Aizonde. His zanpakuto, in its Bankai state, was a long pitch-black sword and the hems of his Shinigami robes were longer and torn to give it a more edgy appearance.

"What sorcery is this?!" Hollow Aizonde exclaimed in outrage. "Heh. Don't blink and you'll see." Ichigo said cockily. "Whatever-"

"Told you not to blink." Ichigo stated. Somehow, at speeds faster than a sonicboom, the orange-haired male was behind Hollow Aizonde. "Getsuga Tenshō!!" Ichigo swung his zanpakuto creating streaks of ebony and crimson in its wake.

"Shit!"

BOOM!

The room was filled with a black and red slash as the Hollow's pained screams rung in agony. The condition lingered adding to the destruction it provided to the room. For what seemed hours, the Getsuga Tenshō receded into oblivion. A charred, lengthy streak of destruction decorated the room now and Hollow Aizonde was in the middle of it, smoldering and agonized.

Ichigo smirked arrogantly, "Still think it's over now?" Hollow Aizonde slowly and painstakingly stood back up and picked up his fallen sword. "Why…you…" He growled. "Looks like…I can't hold back anymore…" He then extended his sword so that it was pointing directly at Ichigo.

"Bring it on."

**-Eastern Entrance-**

"Hihiō Zabimaru!"

Renji's zanpakuto, upon activation of his Bankai, has taken on the form of a skeleton of a snake. Zabimaru now possesses more segments much larger than the Shikai's. They also resemble a mix between a snake's vertebral column and the pick-like protrusions of his Shikai segments. A snake-like head about the size of a small car adorns the very top of it. Renji himself has also gained some additional aspects. One of which is a fur cowl around his neck that appears to be the fur of an ape. Thus, the ape's skull could be seen over Renji's left shoulder while the rest of the fur extends to cover his right arm.

"Oh, your Bankai, I presume." Hollow Yukimano remarked clutching her sealed zanpakuto. Although she did not express it, worry cropped up within her as she could be easily overpowered by a Bankai. "Heh, damn right." Renji retorted with a smirk. "And I sure as hell know that rookies don't get their Shikais over the span of a day, so you're outmatched."

Hollow Yukimano's sudden grin and extension of her zanpakuto erased Renji's smirk and replaced it with uncertainty. "Wanna bet?"

* * *

(A/N: In this chapter, take note of the border line. It is here that Raidon, Aizonde, Yukimano, and Tsu Lung are in the same inner world. Transitions will be used, so be attentive.)

They could not tell exactly where they were…

It was an outside world, but at the same time it wasn't…

Isolation…pure silence…eeriness….

The scene of an empty concentrate street sandwiched between tall buildings…

The sounds of clatter of sole footsteps echoed across the lifeless road. Raidon, in his regular sane state, wandered confused and inquisitive. "Where….am I?" Raidon wondered aloud, "I remember fighting some Hollows, then…nothing."

"That's because you've became an experiment."

Yukimano turned her head abruptly to see her evil alter ago standing perfectly on top of a light pole. "Who are you?!" She interrogated unsheathing her Arabian-style scimitar. Hollow Yukimano jumped off her light pole and gave her alter ego a grin, "I am-"

"-your Inner Hollow." Hollow Aizonde introduced himself. The real Aizonde simply looked at his Hollow persona indifferently. "Is that so?" He said, "I guess I should exterminate you from me then." Hollow Aizonde cracked a barbarically-inclined smile, "But, first, a question."

"Are you aware of the concept of Shikais?" Hollow Tsu Lung decreased the gap in between her and her human self. Tsu Lung nervously grasped the handle of her rapier tautly with both of her hands, "H-Hai…The Shikai is the first released state of a zanpakuto. Y-you have to know the name of your zanpakuto in order to activate it."

Hollow Raidon chortled manically, "Oh, there is _so _much more to it than that, Raidon!" Raidon narrowed his crimson eyes at his Inner Hollow and questioned, "Alright, what am I missing?" Carelessly, Hollow Raidon tossed his ash-colored falchion up and down, "Well, first of all, do you know the name of your zanpakuto?"

"Of course I do! My zanpakuto's name is Fujin!" Yukimano answer crossing her arms. "Hmm. Apparently, you _do _talkto him occasionally." Hollow Yukimano stated spinning her sword casually. "Can you fully recite the command on followed by your zanpakuto's name?"

"Surge Across the Blue Oceans, Ryujin." Aizonde recited his command, absentmindedly gripping the hilt of his zanpakuto. Strangely, nothing happened. "Confused?" Hollow Aizonde spoke, "There's a big difference between knowing and reciting your zanpakuto's name than actually releasing it."

Hollow Tsu Lung tenderly caressed the thin, almost needle-like blade of her zanpakuto. "You have to harmonize the Zanpakuto Spirit, yourself, and each other's Spiritual Energy. Then and only then will you achieve your Shikai and be on the way to accomplishing Bankai." Tsu Lung, even through nervous expression, managed to give her Inner Hollow a glare, "How do I know you're not preventing me from such?"

"Perceptive, Raidon." Hollow Raidon remarked, "Normally, a regular Hollow would not provide such an ailment, but-"

Hollow Yukimano tapped Yukimano's cranium unthreateningly with her sword, "-since you were Hollowfied by a Combinado Hollow, obtaining your Shikai seems slim to none."

"So, how about a little game?" Hollow Aizonde suggested. "What sort of game? I'm not much of a player." Aizonde said. "If you and your friends can defeat your Hollow selves while in a Shikai state-"

"We will leave and let ourselves fade into nonexistence and let you enjoy the luxury of a Shikai." Hollow Tsu Lung stabbed the rapier into the ground and awaited Tsu Lung's response. The multiracial Soul Reaper swallowed the lump in her throat. This was truly a nerve-wracking situation. To eternally have a Hollow, a Combinado at that, infect your inner world or battle in an unmatched bout.

"Why would you offer such a thing?" Raidon questioned. Hollow Raidon guffawed and responded, "Simple, Shinigami."

"I'd rather die than be apart of lowly creatures such as yourself." Hollow Yukimano stated. Yukimano, enraged, swung her sword at her Hollow counterpart.

Hollow Aizonde back-flipped and dodged the sword swing. Landing directly on top of a light-pole, he continued, "Besides, I didn't even _want_ to be inserted into you guys! Hutike gave us no choice."

"So," Hollow Tsu Lung stated dignifiedly, "do you accept my criteria?" Tsu Lung stood cemented in her place, thoughtless and wordless as she gripped her rapier's hilt tautly.

"Three words." (Raidon)

"Bring-" (Yukimano)

"It-" (Aizonde)

"On!" (Tsu Lung)

"Very well then!" Hollow Raidon then held up his ash-colored zanpakuto into the air. Ominously, black clouds aggregated into one giant cloud directly above Hollow Raidon. Golden lightning crackled within its boundaries. "Thunder Throughout the Restless Storms! Raijin!" A lightning bolt descended straight from the cloud and struck the raised sword like a lightning rod. Raidon covered his eyes at the intense flash of reiatsu just from that sole occurrence. When the flash show ceased, Raijin's blade was now an actual bolt of lightning with a double-helix mass of voltage constantly surrounding the blade.

"Overwhelm With Gaitful Zephyrs! Fujin!" Hollow Yukimano extended her zanpakuto, Fujin, outward with her arm. Her arm is twisted so that the hilt shows upward while her other arm rests on the upturn bicep. Upon turning it, a quick gust swipe across the Arabian-style scimitar and it was transformed immediately. The blade itself turned into a slate-colored and ivory corkscrew-like shape (resembling the spirals of a tornado) and the crossguard resembles a gray topographical image of a hurricane.

"Surge Across the Blue Oceans! Ryujin!" Hollow Aizonde rotated his kampilan a full circle, creating a deep blue rim. The rim contracted into the sword and a blue flash then ensued, signaling the transformation. The blade itself liquefied into pure water, and the crossguard started to excrete water droplets as if it was raining.

"Illuminate the Dark Midnight. Mikoto." Hollow Tsu Lung flipped her rapier, making the hilt face upward. Suddenly, a magnificent and celestial Alice-blue, sparkling light illuminated behind her. The image of a beautiful full moon was behind her. She then raised the sword (still upside down) to the moon. Moonbeams shined down upon her sword. Gradually, the blade itself elongated and curved into a hook-like sickle, and is constantly glowing a sparkling Alice-blue. The hilt resembles a full Blue Moon.

* * *

Hono started wide-eyed at the incident that just transpired before him; Hollow Raidon activating his Shikai. "H-How…are you…able to do that?" Hono questioned in surprise, "Raidon can't…activate his Shikai!" Hollow Raidon cracked a grandiose smile and replied, "He can't, but _I _can. Now I wonder how long you will last without yours."

Hono tightened his grip around the hilts of his sealed dual zanpakuto. _"This battle is unmatched, but I gotta do this for Raidon's sake." _He thought determinedly. "Here I come!" Hollow Raidon proclaimed as he Flash Stepped behind Hono and swung Raijin. Quickly, Hono turned around blocked the Shikai-powered sword with his sealed swords. Upon contact, literally the sound of thunder roared, shaking the room and chipping Hono's swords. And, unfortunately, the utter intensity augmenting Hollow Raidon's sword overwhelmed Hono. He receded a considerable amount of distance backwards. _"Damn it! I don't believe this!" _

With a sneer, Hollow Raidon charged at Hono once more, dragging Raijin across the ground to upsurge momentum. As Raijin was being hauled across, the floor, electrical sparks and a charred trail were left in its wake. Hono held up his two yatagans in preparation to block; Hollow Raidon swung Raijin once more after he closed the gap in-between he and his opponent. Another roar of thunder sounded as Raijin's golden force began to crack and dull Hono's blades. "Shit!" Hono exclaimed as he noticed how badly overpowered he was.

Another a radiant yellow explosion occurred from the raw power. A thick cloud of black, suffocative smoke enshrouded the area. Hono covered his mouth with his hand as he coughed viciously, "M-man…(cough), does he ever quit? (cough)"

"Hey, who said I was done yet!?" Hollow Raidon shrieked insanely. A section of smoke conveniently (or perhaps inconveniently) died away to reveal Hollow Raidon. Hono immediately turned around in shock; however, he was not quick enough to forefend the Hollow's next course of action. Hollow Raidon retracted Raijin backwards and, with a puissant roar, projected the blade forward. Fascinatingly, the lightning bolt blade of Raijin maneuvered with the same exact flexibility and fluidity of a whip. To make matters worse, its range was frighteningly massive. Helpless and aghast, the golden electric "whip" lassoed around Hono, virtually enmeshing his whole upper body.

"Hey! Let me go!" Hono screamed out as contumaciously attempted to free himself. "Not happening." Hollow Raidon objected, effortlessly sustaining his Shikai's hold on Hono. "Let's see how you like this!"

Crackles of electricity suddenly made their presence known on both Hono and the zanpakuto. Then, a gigantic golden light show graced the room's presence with Hono's cries of agony complimenting it. Hollow Raidon laughed sadistically as a circa amount of 100,000 watt voltage delivered unbearable pain to the rookie Shinigami.

Eventually, Hollow Raidon freed Hono and the latter collapsed onto the ground. Residual electricity crackled over all his body in addition to lines of smoldering grey rising from his body. Hollow Raidon approached the defeated Hono. "Heh. Seems like the end of the line for you, pal!" He said. Hono then mumbled something incoherently. "What? Speak up!" Hollow Raidon demanded. "I told you…," Hono stated in a more comprehensible octave, "to go screw yourself." Even through all the pain he just endured, he managed smirk jokingly.

Consequently, Hollow Raidon isn't the sort of person that relishes such ill-humor.

A deafening metallic stab suddenly sounded. Hono's smirk immediately disappeared as the ground he laid on had a pool of crimson liquid adorn it. "You talk too much shit." Hollow Raidon commented, now more serious than sadistic. One of Hono's yatagans was jammed straight into its owner's upper spine, essentially the backdoor entrance to his heart. Instantly, Hono felt paralyzed and leeched of all of his energy…

"Heh. Looks like you can lay there and bleed to death." Hollow Raidon stated as he turned heel and walked around. Hono's vision went blurry, unconsciousness threatened to overtake him, and he was slowly losing vitality. Before his eyes closed, the image of an actual Raidon walking away from him replaced the Hollow version. "Raidon…"

* * *

Even in the midst of the bloodied, grueling battle the remaining Rookie 5 members were currently engaging in, they could sense the disturbance that recently transpired. They all froze in their place when the collective, invisible omen reached them. _"Hono!"_

"Hono…" Raidon stated in disbelief, "He..He came to rescue us…?" Hollow Raidon's sadistic laugh echoed throughout the empty street in response. "Well, in doing so, he probably lost his life!" He hollered. "What did you say?!" Raidon exclaimed, gritting his teeth. "You see, in the outside world, the second half of what makes me a Combinado Hollow is fighting Raidon using Shikai." Hollow Raidon explained, "But I can predict he delivered a finishing blow already."

"No! I won't accept it!" Raidon screamed out suddenly, even surprising his Hollow alter ego. "He can't die on us! He came to save us! He's our friend!" Hollow Raidon dismissed his shock and smirked, "He didn't do that before, didn't he?" The electric blonde went silent upon hearing that statement. That was true, Hono decided to follow his captain than helping out his friends.

But…

"That was a mistake all of us are willing to forgive." Yukimano growled, gripping her scimitar tightly.

"He's willing to atone for what he's done, but he's also doing that to save us, his friends!" Aizonde stated loudly.

"He may not see us or even hear us, but we here to support him!" Tsu Lung said as a shadow blanketed her eyes, which were full of emotions.

"So I'm going to defeat you and reunite with my friends!" Every loose aspect on Raidon's body began to flow as electric yellow Spiritual Pressure became visible on his body. Aizonde, Yukimano, and Tsu Lung were experiencing the same type of marvel, respectively with blue, silver, and Alice-blue reiatsu.

Each of them positioned their zanpakuto the same way their Hollow selves. But before the recited their commands, they collectively decided to send their other friend some spiritual motivation.

"HONO!!!!"

* * *

They thought he couldn't hear…see them…or even sense them.

But he could actually feel their presence loud and clear.

All negative conditions, even his pain and unconsciousness, suddenly vanished into oblivion upon "hearing" his friends.

"_I see…"_

Hono reopened his eyes again. As a result of his powerful resolve, his eyes burned with intense raw fire. Burned so much, that his eyes were identically the same as the flaming celestial body in the sky. _"I'm sorry, guys…I'll never let you down ever again…"_

Something out of the ordinary halted Hollow Raidon from fully exited the room. "Hm?" He turned around curiously to inspect the cause, "Listen, you , stay-" The Hollow's horrified gasp shut down the words scheduled to come out.

A hand, empowered by an aura of orange reiatsu, grabbed the hilt one of the fallen swords. Then, the entire body, decorated with the same privilege, stood up and removed the other sword invading his body. Hollow Raidon viewed the sight with eyes of identical size to saucers. The Spiritual Pressure made it seem like Hono was literally a man on fire, and it was effectively intimidating.

Hono elevated his yatagans right above his head and positioned them so that they intersected each other. "Incinerate…" He spoke. The flaming Spiritual Pressure suddenly created a perfect allusion to the sun itself. Its ultraviolent rays shined upon the swords causing the metal to smolder and sizzle. "Amaterasu!" Hono roughly scraped the swords against each other, separating the swords from their intersection, and producing a large spark. The spark set off a chemical reaction in which an unfathomable quantity of fire and flames were produced and engulfed half of the room.

Hollow Raidon stared at the occurrence, utterly thunderstruck and wide-eyed. He nervously gripped Raijin as electricity crackled weakly from it. Finally, the fire show and flaming reiatsu subsided. Amaterasu, Hono's dual yatagans, retained their general shape, but the blades now resemble hardened sunspots. These sunspots are constantly surrounded by solar flares and flowing fire.

"You…You've…" Hollow Raidon stammered speechlessly. "That's right, cower before my Shikai." Hono said with a grin. He twirled both of his swords nonchalantly; in doing so, a circular trail of flame was left. Hollow Raidon growled in irritation, "You think just because you gained your Shikai you can beat me?!"

"I don't think, asshole," Hono suddenly stabbed Amaterasu into the ground, "I know!" Red-orange magmatic cracks resulted from the rookie's action. The cracks slithered their way to Hollow Raidon who Flash Stepped away to avoid whatever their intentions were. Actual molten lava was produced from the cracks that slowly eroded the tile resting underneath it.

Hollow Raidon viewed the sight in disgust and awe, _"What kind of Shikai is that?" _ Subconsciously, he felt a strange type of pain course through him. _"Wha-what!?" _ Hollow Raidon mentally exclaimed as he started to shiver and convulse from the unknown reason. "What's happening?!" He groused as he collapsed onto one knee.

Then, Hollow Raidon felt the temperature around him intensate exponentially. When he managed to look up, he was extensively circumscribed within a ring of fiery magma. Safe to say, Hollow Raidon's doom was dawning as the incalescence attained its pinnacle. "DAMN IT! DAMN IT! TURN THIS HEAT OFF!!!" Hollow Raidon pleaded manically as he began to swelter and burn.

Hono watched this scene, squatted down, with a satisfied grin and retorted, "No can do. Raidon just kicked your ass, so I'm about to do the same." Hollow Raidon, precisely the opposite color he was originally, looked at the pyrokinetic fearfully. "It's over. Have fun baking in the sun."

The panicked Hollow, now shriveled like a raisin, apprehensively glowered the sunny phenomenon behind him. The sunrays instantly greeted his eyes…with the foreshadowing of his death.

"DAMN YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


	6. Legend of the Zanpakuto Deities

**Disclaimer: **Bleach is copyrighted by Tite Kubo (characters, series, and concepts). The only elements that shall be exclusive to me will be my OCs and their respective original content.

**Legend of the Zanpakuto Deities**

Fallen zanpakuto collapsed onto the ground. Their Shikai state downgraded to a sealed state upon the defeat of their owners. All Hollow entities, injuries varying since they combated different adversaries, were rendered unconscious and fallen before their bester.

Rukia panted heavily as Sode on Shirayuki reverted to its sealed state and was sheathed back into its scabbard. Hollow Tsu Lung was frozen onto a shaped structure of ice. Her arms and legs were surrounded by adhesive snow and her back stuck to the main structure, leaving her wide open. With her apparently fatal wounds, Rukia obviously delivered the finishing blow.

"So the Zanpakuto Deities do exist." An unperturbed voice spoke behind Rukia. The Kuchiki female turned around immediately and was greeted with her brother-in-law. "Nii-sama!" She exclaimed. Byakuya's attention was focused on the zanpakuto lying on the base of Rukia's ice structure. "Interesting…" He commented, "That rookie's zanpakuto is one of the legendary Zanpakuto Deities." The black-haired Kuchiki female was well aware of the stories of Zanpakuto Deities, but she wondered how did a _rookie _have one of them.

Byakuya, finally averting his concentration from the fallen sword, glanced at the person attached to Rukia's ice formation. Interestingly enough, the grey and white colors began to fade away like dye washing away with water. "Rukia." Byakuya spoke catching his sister-in-law's attention. "Yes, nii-sama?" Rukia asked. "Release Tsu Lung. She needs treatment." Byakuya instructed walking over to the subzero construction. "Right." Rukia stated and immediately made the formation shatter away and release the now normal Tsu Lung.

**-Northern Entrance-**

Hollow Aizonde laid stomach-first on the floor as he bled to death. Even with the use of hydrokinetic Shikai, Ichigo's Bankai still managed to defeat him. Arguably, the turning point of the match was when Getsuga Tenshō and a powerful tidal wave clashed together with the former reigning victorious.

Ichigo reverted to his normal form and placed his zanpakuto on his back, bandages reforming and wrapping around it magically. "Glad that's over with." Ichigo said.

A heavy sigh was heard behind him, "Ichigo, do you ever follow orders?" The voice, obviously male, questioned. The Substitute Shinigami turned around to see Ukitake with a soft yet disappointed expression on his face. With the presence of a Captain involved, Ichigo immediately knew that he could be in trouble, _"Oh, crap…"_

**-Soul Society-**

"You youngsters deliberately disobeyed my orders…" Yamamoto stated in a low octave. Ichigo, Hono, Rukia, and Renji could only hang their heads low and listen to their ultimate superior's reprimand. "However…" At the sudden change of tone, the four looked up in perplexity. "You four managed to rescue them much faster than my initial plans, so I commend you." Yamamoto said, "You are dismissed."

The minute the quadruplet made it outside, they unfettered a mutual suspiration of solace. "Man, I thought we surely would get punished." Rukia said. "Guess we caught a break…" Renji stated.

"Renji, Rukia, Ichigo…" Hono suddenly spoke. All three who were addressed look at the addresser curiously. "Thank you…for helping to save my friends." Hono acknowledged. "Hey, don't mention it." Ichigo responded. "We were just doing our job." Renji added. Rukia simply nodded and then uttered, "Your friends are in Unohana's clinic being healed. It's in the 4th Division Headquarters." The dual zanpakuto wielder nodded appreciatively and Flash Stepped away.

**-4****th**** Division Headquarters: Clinic-**

"You know, for a highly dependent organization, this clinic isn't very big." Hono commented as he finally managed to arrive at the 4th Division Clinic. Like he just stated, the clinic resembled that of a two-story average Japanese household rather than an important medical facility. The rookie entered, moving the slide door to the left, and closed it behind him.

"Welcome!" A chipper female voice greeted him immediately upon entry. "Thank you…Um…," Hono examined his greeter. She was a tall, young looking woman with short silver hair. Some of her hair is braided on one side of her head. Predictably, Hono did not recognize her. "What's your name?" Hono dubiously inquired.

"Lieutenant Kotetsu Isane of the 4th Division." Isane replied with a smile. "Right…" Hono said and then catechized, "OK, Isane, where are my friends?" "What are their names?" Isane inquired leading Hono into the backroom where the stations for patients were held. "Kaminari Raidon, Perfecture Aizonde, Xioyuna Tsu Lung, and Sōtatsu Yukimano." Hono answered following the tall lieutenant. "Oh, Captain Unohana is probably healing them right now." Isane answered.

"Where? Tell me." Hono requested. "Continue following me, but stay quiet a little because healing takes a lot of concentration." Isane asseverated. Finally, they approached another sliding door at the end of the hall. Isane prudently and slowly slid the door to the left, "Captain Unohana?"

Inside the room, there were four hospital-like divans; each one furnished a Rookie 5 member (excluding Hono for obvious reasons). Unlike before, their Hollow appearances were completely erased and their normal appearance dominated once more. "Guys!" Hono accidentally pushed Isane aside (startling her as well) and ran in. "Guys, are you-"

"Shhh." A gentle and polite voice sounded from somewhere in the room. Isane and Hono looked at where the voice originated. In a simple wooden chair reading a floral volume was the youthful black-haired captain Retsu Unohana. "Your friends are still recuperating." Unohana cautioned as she flipped a page in her paperback.

Hono approached the soft-spoken healer and asked, "Please tell me, will they be OK?" Unohana closed her book, looked up to Hono, and gave him a reassuringly sweet smile, "They are on the road to recovery." For the second time today, Hono liberated a sigh of relief that was pressurizing his lungs.

Now with worry no longer a setback, Hono calmed down and approached his friends. He placed their respective necklaces around their necks. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, what are those?" Isane inquired examining the necklaces for herself. As Hono placed the Alice-blue necklace around Tsu Lung's neck, he answered, "Tsu Lung made these necklaces to symbolize our friendship. When they were captured, they dropped them, so I'm returning them."

"My, my. How sentimental." A male voice, an odd one at that, commented with a chuckle. Isane, Unohana, and Hono turned to the entrance to see two people.

One was an apparent captain with a skull-like visage, black and white paint all on his visible parts of his body, and he has ear and chain attachments to resemble that of an Egyptian Pharaoh. His blue hair is also styled into "horns," which when viewed from the front looks much like a Pharaoh's crown.

The other person was a petite and youthful female with black hair, slightly parted bangs, and is pulled back into a long braid. She is wearing a traditional wide white obi with a red cord fastening it. On her left sleeve is a lieutenant's armband. In addition, she is wearing white gloves that cover only the back of her hands and wrists as well as a dark red choker.

"Captain Kurotsuchi and Nemu?" Isane said as she blinked in befuddlement. Unohana removed herself from her chair and approached them. "Mayuri," She spoke, "what is the occasion?" Mayuri chuckled and looked at the bedridden Soul Reapers, "I've been given orders to see if there are any Hollow remains to these specimens."

Hono got in front his friends protectively and defiantly stated, "Now what wait just a minute! "Specimens"? These are my friends! And who are you? The Soul Society's court jester?" Mayuri shook his head in pity, "Dear me, such unruly manners. I am the 12th Division Captain, Mayuri Kurotsuchi." He introduced. Hono looked at the female standing timidly behind Mayuri, "And you?" He got no response, just her turning her head. "She is my lieutenant, Nemu." Mayuri answered.

"Anyway," Unohana spoke, "You're not going to escort them to your lab, are you? They are still healing." Mayuri cracked a somewhat creepy grin across his painted face and replied, "Well, some of the equipment required is at my lab, so it would seem necessary." Unohana shook her head but, strangely, flashed a sugar-sweet smile at the perplexed 12th Division Captain, "Now, now. It would be criminal to force injured Soul Reapers to do something." She then slightly opened her eyes, "Right, Kurotsuchi Mayuri?" Oddly enough, the overly pleasant expression of the healer emitted a form of…malice. Slightly intimidated, a couple beads of sweat traveled down Mayuri's face. Hono himself become petrified as Isane cowardly hid behind him.

Clearing his throat, Mayuri announced his second thoughts, "Very well, I will conduct the examinations in here." Unohana nodded understandingly, "Wise decision. Would you like me to go fetch your items?" "No thank you." Mayuri declined the offer and turned his lieutenant/assistant, "Nemu, go get them." "Hai, Mayuri-sama." In a second, Nemu Flash Stepped away.

Moments later, Nemu reappeared via the same method of action with her arms overflowing with scientific equipment. "Very good." Mayuri commented and then commanded, "Now I will require a table." "Hai, Mayuri-sama."

"Here." Hono said as he placed a medium-size portable table in front of the two highest ranked officers of the 12th Division. "Oh? Apparently you do have manners." Mayuri remarked as he took some of the technical utensils and placed them on the table. Even when relieved of some of the scientific paraphernalia, Nemu still seemed to be straining to keep the remaining objects in her arms. Hono noticed the difficulty she was experiencing. He turned to Isane and gestured over at Nemu. Nodding, both Isane and Hono walked over to Nemu and simultaneously relinquished some of the items.

"How intriguing." Mayuri spoke with an interested grin, "My tests are telling me that your friends underwent Hollowfication, but the Hollows are absolutely absent." Hono eyed the President of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, "So that means you're done?" "Now, now. Science cannot be rushed." Mayuri said as he continued his ministrations.

Hono tilted his head over to Isane and whispered, "There's something about that clown I don't like." "It's understandable. Mayuri enjoys experiment and science of any kind a lot. So, not only is he the 12th Division Captain, he's president of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute." Isane whispered back in explanation. "So he's a madman…" Hono opined. Isane fell hushed after the graduate made his opinion known, but she heard him whisper again, "Listen, I don't care if he is a captain, if he gets reckless, especially to Nemu, let me know." Isane looked at Hono unsurely, but his serious face and the raw fire in his onyx eyes helped her reach an answer, "I-I will…"

"All done." Mayuri announced, "The specimens are in adequate condition." Unohana said in response, "That is heavenly to know about." The scientist then shifted his gazed to the sheathed zanpakuto lying against their sickbeds. A small chuckle sounded his from vocal cords. "Now what?" Hono interrogated. "Nothing. It's just that there's something else that intrigues me about you five." Mayuri responded. Now that he said something that apparently involved him, Hono narrowed eyes and retorted, "And that would be?"

"That your zanpakuto are five of the known Zanpakuto Deities." Mayuri answered. Hono blinked in confusion, "Huh?" "So clueless." Mayuri affronted with a small odd grin. The rookie glared daggers at the captain and spat back, "What did you say, clown?" Unaffected, Mayuri rejoined, "Did they teach you nothing at the Academy, rookie?" "Why you!"

Unohana, ever so politely, intervened, "Now, now, gentlemen, let's not quarrel." Again, her infamous sugar-sweet expression was directed at both Hono and Mayuri as she said, "We still have people in here recuperating. So, Mayuri, be so kind to tell Hono about the Zanpakuto Deities."

Hono backed up, feeling insecure and threatened by the mischievousness masked by the kindness. Isane once again hid behind Hono, either for protection or to use him as a shield (perhaps both). Mayuri inaudibly swallowed the lump his throat, "R-Right…" Nemu, amazingly, was the only person unaffected by the "intimidation".

"Anyway, I can tell by the Spiritual Pressure you and your friends' swords are emitting that they are a special class of Zanpakuto Spirits entitled the Zanpakuto Deities. What are they? Well, in the Human World, some creatures are hailed as gods in some cultures. Luckily for you, your zanpakuto possess the same exact name and qualities of some of these gods; therefore, the Soul Society, knowing that the spirits of these gods would most likely become zanpakuto, gave them utmost recognition." Mayuri explicated.

Unohana then stated, "But you neglect some details about them, Mayuri." Mayuri looked at the healing captain quizzically, "Am I now?" Unohana nodded, "Indeed you are. Zanpakuto Deities are normally regarded for the fact that they are unified. Meaning, they are spiritually bonded, much like your friendship. As a result, Zanpakuto Deities are one of the most powerful forms of zanpakuto confirmed."

"Is that so?" Hono said absentmindedly touching both halves of Amaterasu. "Indeed," Mayuri said, "I always wondered what made these Zanpakuto Deities tick. Perhaps I can conduct an experiment." Hono glared heatedly at Mayuri and declined, "Get a life, clown." Mayuri only chuckled at Hono's audacity and retorted, "You simpleton, get some manners." Hono was about to counter back, but Isane placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at him. Catching her glance and the meaning behind it, Hono calmed himself and uttered no more words.

"Anyway, since these Zanpakuto Deities are oh-so important, how many are there?" Hono asked after finally calming himself completely. "That is an unknown," Mayuri announced, "However, we have data on all the polytheistic religion in the Human World so that if any other Zanpakuto Deities surface, we can archive them. As of now, you and your friends are the only ones with them." "Wow…" Isane commented as Hono absentmindedly gazed at his and his friends' sheathed swords. "Allow me another question," Hono uttered, "how did you guys know if Zanpakuto Deities would become what they are?"

"Are you serious?" Mayuri responded with an unimpressed deadpan, "We are Shinigami, death gods! Our status outranks what these humans call "deities". They wanted to be apart of our roles and offered fragments of their power to manifest into the littlest thing they could do to help us, our zanpakuto! They _envy _our capabilities!"

Isane blinked owlishly and repeated the emphasized word, "Envy?" Unohana spoke out, "Now, now, Captain Kurotsuchi, I doubt that the gods of the Human World would envy us." The derange scientist shifted his look to the healer captain and retorted, "Is that so? Then what is your interpretation, Miss Retsu?" Unohana answered wisely, "I believe these Human World gods had the desire to assist in our mission because of their love for the humans. Although they represent and embody different natures, the Zanpakuto Deities share collective goals to nurture and protect the Pluses from the Hollows. As a result, they distributed fragments of their care into the Soul Society in the form of zanpakuto to strengthen whoever their destined bearer is."

"Protection and nurturing?" Mayuri hissed objectively. "You know, I think Captain Unohana's got it right." Hono articulated, preventing the 12th Division Captain from a rebuttal. "Maybe…how my friends and I protect each other…reflect onto the Zanpakuto Deities…maybe that's the source of our strength…well, to a certain degree." Isane and Unohana looked at the fiery Soul Reaper with mystified expressions.

Mayuri, conversely, humorously proposed in retort, "Perhaps if you allow me to experiment on you guys, I could find the true answer behind all this?"

"Dream on, freakazoid!"

"Um, how do you know a Zanpakuto Deity when you see on?" Isane inquired, tenderly rubbing Hono's shoulder in an attempt to keep him calm. The Amaterasu-wielder added, "Yeah. How do you know if it's just not a regular zanpakuto with the name of a god?"

Mayuri answered, "Research obviously. By archiving the many polytheistic religions into our computer, we can determine a Zanpakuto Deity based on its suppose nature in the Human World." Hono scratched his head and said, "Like? Give us an example." The head researcher used his finger with the excessively long nail to point at Hono's swords, "Amaterasu is the Japanese goddess of the sun in Shinto mythology. Your Zanpakuto Deity, Amaterasu, utilizes the same ability of the sun and, like other deities, has special Spiritual Pressure. Your zanpakuto is indeed the goddess of the sun herself."

Unohana, Isane, and Hone fell silent and seemingly possessed no further questions. "Um, Mayuri-sama?" Nemu's withdrawn voice asked, "My dearest apologies…but what if someone abuses a Zanpakuto Deity's power like one can do with a regular zanpakuto?" Mayuri grinned in eerie pleasure and replied, "I'm glad you asked, Nemu. You see Zanpakuto Deities, just like their Human World selves, do not like to be tampered with. So, whenever a Shinigami abuses their power, the results are the equivalence of incurring the wraths of gods!"

Hono gulped nervously; he felt comfortable just knowing about a Zanpakuto Deity's nature, but now knowing that they could exterminate him if used wrongly scared him.

"Well, if you excuse me, I must return to my headquarters now that my orders have been fulfilled." Mayuri promulgated his departure, "Nemu, get the equipment." "Hai, Mayuri-sama." "Hey, we'll carry some of the equipment back with you." Hono asserted, already placing some of the scientific items in his hands. Isane mimicked his actions, "You-you don't mind, do you?" Mayuri chuckled and remarked, "Amazing how your manners improved in such short notice. Very well then."

"We'll be back, Captain Unohana!" Isane announced as she walked out. "I'll be back to check on my friends!" Hono proclaimed as he followed suit. "You do that!" Unohana stated.

Meanwhile, on Raidon's sickbed, his open eyes stared at the ceiling. Interestingly, he awakened right before the explanation of Zanpakuto Deities. _"Zanpakuto Deities, huh?…Such great power…and an even greater responsibility…" _He thought.

**-LATER at the 11****th**** Division Headquarters-**

Hono aimlessly traversed the grounds of the 11th Division Headquarters after dropping out Mayuri's equipment at the lab with Isane. "Note to self, never go to his lab _ever_ again." Hono said distastefully. Evidently, it was true that mad scientists kept all sorts of gruesome things within their labs. He exercised his tense right shoulder, "And it didn't help that Isane was clinging to me the whole time…"

"Teiduhura-san!"

Hono stopped walking upon hearing the easily recognizable voice. "Hey, hermaphrodite." Yumichika, approaching the rookie, exclaimed, "I'd really wish you would stop saying that! I have a name!" Hono chuckled heartily and responded, "I'm just joking, Yumichika. What's up?"

"Captain Kenpachi wants us to train, but I don't want to train with those savages." Yumichika said. "What makes you think I won't turn savage on you?" Hono riposted. Smirking, the narcissist unsheathed his zanpakuto and said, "Because you'll be on the ground before you get the chance." Hono smirked back and unsheathed both of his yatagans, "Let's see if your bite is worse than your bark, Yumichika."

"Hey, Hono, Yumichika! Mind if we train with you!?" A voice, all too familiar, requested from above. Both 11th Division members looked at the progenitor of the request. Raidon, Aizonde, Yukimano, and Tsu Lung all stood on a rooftop looking down at them. "Guys! You're OK!" Hono exclaimed. "Oh my, I get to spar with the infamous Rookie 5." Yumichika said.

Raidon, Tsu Lung, Aizonde, and Yukimano Flash Stepped down to where Hono and Yumichika were and unsheathed their swords. Hono raised an eyebrow and said, "We never said you could train with us." "Too bad." The four said simultaneously. "My, my. This might be interesting." Yumichika commented with a grin.

All of the Soul Reapers positioned their zanpakuto their respective ways.

"Thunder Throughout the Restless Storms! Raijin!"

"Incinerate! Amaterasu!"

"Surge Across the Blue Oceans! Ryujin!"

"Overwhelm with Gaitful Zephyrs! Fujin!"

"Illuminate the Dark Midnight! Mikoto!"

"Bloom for me! Fuji Kujaku!"

Even if this sparring between friends was jovial and energetic, someone somewhere was devising a strategy that would strike melancholy into everyone's hearts.

**-Hueco Mundo: Unknown Area-**

"My creations, the time for assault beckons." Hutike, in an almost-omnipresent and commanding voice, bellowed throughout the dome structure. As he stood on an elevated podium, he peered down at the seemingly incessant squadron of Combinado Hollows. Behind him were Usude and four other special Combinado Hollows concealed by the shadows.

"Prepare, arm, and steel yourselves. For when the crack of dawn comes, we go to war against the Soul Society."

That moment, all Soul Reapers felt a condescending chill course down their spines…


	7. General Warfare

**Disclaimer: **Bleach is copyrighted by Tite Kubo (characters, series, and concepts). The only elements that shall be exclusive to me will be my OCs and their respective original content.

**General Warfare **

A multitude of colored Spiritual Pressure enveloped that small area as their Shikai activated. The light show eventually abated, and the Soul Reapers held up their transformed zanpakuto, ready to fight.

"I will let you rookies know right now," Yumichika spoke holding up his falx-like, multi-bladed Shikai Fuji Kujaku, "I won't make this pretty on you." Suddenly, a small gust of wind flowed past him. Yukimano was pointing Fujin at Yumichika's head from behind. "That's just the way we want it." She said. Hastily, the 5th Seated member of the 11th Division turned around whilst swinging his zanpakuto. Yukimano blocked it, having Fujin become caught in one of the gaps of Fuji Kujaku's blades.

As Yumichika was amid in his deadlock with Yukimano, he suddenly felt an encroaching presence behind him. Thus, he performed Flash Step and, luckily, evaded a swing from Aizonde's Ryujin. Yumichika appeared elsewhere (but still on the battlefield) and was immediately greeted with two flaming blades. He blocked it, catching both halves of Amaterasu in the gaps of his Shikai. "Hey, watch the hair!" Yumichika complained, noticing that the fiery cutting edges were dangerously close to his black hair. "Ah, deal with it!" Hono retorted as he applied pressure onto Fuji Kujaku with Amaterasu.

Thankfully (in Yumichika's case), before Amaterasu's flames could scorch his prized locks, an Alice-blue sparkling moonbeam headed toward them. Yumichika saw it coming and dodged while Hono, unfortunately for him, had little time to evade and was ultimately hit.

Yumichika faced the caster of the attack and prepared for a counter; however, when he looked at the attacker, he was immediately devoid of breath. Tsu Lung held her Shikai-induced zanpakuto in front of her with both hands clutching the hilt. A breathtakingly stunning allusion of a sparkling Alice-blue moon was behind her, a result of her manipulation. "Perfection…." Yumichika remarked in a thunderstruck, quiet tone, "Such beauty can only be attained by the powers of a-"

"Heads up, Yumichika!" The narcissist snapped out of his stupor at the alarming notice from his teammate. Hono Flash Stepped in front of Yumichika and swished his yatagans, creating a cloudy blaze to clash with a shot of electrical energy. In the end, both attacks rescinded each other out. "Many thanks, Teiduhura-san!" Yumichika said appreciatively.

"Aw, Hono, why did you protect him?" Raidon playfully complained. Hono smirked and replied, "1) Yumichika is apart of my division. 2) This is a free-for-all spar."

"Oh, is that-" Raidon, before he could respond, was immediately greeted with Tsu Lung's hook-shaped rapier clashing with his electrical falchion. "I guess it is free-for-all!" He exclaimed as he struggled to get the multiracial Soul Reaper's weapon off of him. Tsu Lung shifted her sword and applied much force into her next action; the hook of Mikoto caught Raijin in the arc and the force Tsu Lung applied not only gave Raidon a slash wound but knocked Raijin out of his grip.

Aizonde swung Ryujin and the Shikai released a slashed-shaped deep blue wave. Yukimano retaliated by swinging Fujin and released an acute gale at the wave. Both water and wind attacks cancelled each other. After the cancellation of the attacks, Yumichika appeared in front of the Ryujin-bearer and clashed blades with him. Surprisingly enough, the black-haired narcissist was able to push Aizonde back by pure power.

"Carriage of Thunder. Bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six!" Tsu Lung pointed Mikoto over to where Aizonde and Yumichika were deadlocking, "Bakudo #61: Rikujōkōrō!" Suddenly, six bars of slammed into both Aizonde and Yumichika's midsections. The Bakudo spell rendered them completely immobile. "AHH! THIS IS TOO CLOSE!" Yumichika yelling, complaining to the fact that only one set of bars were barring him and Aizonde. "…I agree." Aizonde said concurringly.

To add insult to injury, Yukimano whipped more sharp zephyrs at the trapped duo. Aizonde and Yumichika hollered in pain as blood spew from their wounds. As retaliation, the Ryujin-wielder concentrated his Spiritual Pressure and channeled it into Ryujin. This action manifested itself into a watery lotus that surrounded and trapped Yukimano. He then concentrated his Kido in order to dispel Rikujōkōrō. He was successful; as such, Yumichika Flash Stepped to where Raidon and Hono were deadlocking and intervened, but was swiftly hit with one of Tsu Lung's moon-related attacks.

Aizonde, on the other hand, manipulated the water around Yukimano it encased her, and swung Ryujin again. As a result, the aquatic lotus was sharply cut in half. Yukimano, unluckily in the middle of the lotus, gained a large wound across her right shoulder.

Eventually, the Shinigamis, after deeming they received enough wounds, desisted their sparring. "Many thanks, you all…" Yumichika panted heavily as he stowed away his zanpakuto. "Well that was fun. We got to see each other's Shikai." Raidon stated as he sheathed his zanpakuto. "Well, it's getting late, so we'd better part ways." Yukimano advised.

With that, they separated and went to their chambers to slumber. Dusk swathed the Soul Society with minimal amounts of denizens up and out. If no one knew better, they could see the Soul Society was at its most peaceful at the end of the day.

However, as ninety-nine percent of Soul Reapers snoozed, a silent but deadly fleet stationed themselves at the very edge of the Soul Society. Even as Combinado Hollows, the group leered maleficently at the premises, ready to kill when the morning twilight approaches.

And it didn't take long for said time to arise…

An off-white gloved hand clicked open the lid of a compass-like watch. The face of the clock displayed the approximate time for morn. The same person looked at the horizon; a golden-orange tint peeked on the prospect. Normally this would symbol dawn, but, in this case, represented impending war.

"Search and destroy…"

Hell hath no fury for an army of Combinado Hollows' bloodlust….

Immediately upon order, each and every Combinado Hollow (except Usude and four others) disappeared and invaded the confines of the Soul Society. Destruction, blood, and explosions rocked the area as Combinado Hollows performed all types of attacks known upon their target.

Hutike and his most trusted companions spectated the commotions with eyes of interest. "Come, we must depart." Hutike said as he turned around and walked away. "Not that I'm conflicting your orders, sir," Usude stated following his creator, "but why?" Hutike answered, "Our main headquarters are going to need defense. Plus, the leaders of the pack cannot be seen doing menial stuff."

Fortunately for the fact that the Soul Society was highly centralized, it did not take them long to get into battle stations and began combating the armada of Combinado Hollows.

"What the hell are these Hollows?!" Ichigo complained as he cut multiple Combinado Hollows into segments. "They're Combinado Hollows!" Rukia answered as she froze some with her Shikai; however, their power allowed them to break out. "But these damn things came out of nowhere!" Renji yelled as he crushed a large Combo-Hollow with Zabimaru's Shikai.

Suddenly, two serpentine-like Combinado Hollows uprooted from the ground near Rukia and Ichigo and coiled themselves around them. "Hey! Let me go, you bastard!" Ichigo demanded as he fruitlessly flailed in the suffocative clutches of his enemy. Rukia gasped repeatedly, for the clinging Combo-Hollow was literally pushing all trances of air out of her lungs. "Ichigo! Rukia!" Renji exclaimed in alarm. Unluckily, the enemies he was dealing with now prevented him from assisting his trapped friends.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura." The duo of serpents was sliced into bloody segments by sharp cherry blossoms scattering in the air. Ichigo and Rukia collapsed onto the ground inhaling the needed amount of oxygen to replenish their respiratory system. Byakuya Flash Stepped to where they were. "N-Nii-sama…" Rukia said, still gasping for breath. "Captain!" Renji jumped down to where they were.

"You three, come with me. The Captain-Commander has something urgent to say." Bykauya announced. "But what about the rest of the Combinado Hollows?!" Ichigo questioned. "We have more than enough Soul Reapers fighting them," Byakuya answered, "Now come."

With that, the group of four Shinigamis Flash Stepped away.

**-1****st**** Division Headquarters: Main Assembly Hall-**

Byakuya, Renji, Rukia, and Ichigo appeared in Main Assembly of the 1st Division HQ. Unsurprisingly, Captain-Commander Yamamoto was there in his usual position with Soi Fon, Ukitake, Kenpachi, and Shunsui standing in front of him.

"We're here, sir." Byakuya announced as he and his accompaniment stood where the quadruple of captains were. "Souls Reapers!" Yamamoto shouted domineeringly, "As all can plainly see, a sudden onslaught has been issued on the Soul Society! I am sending you five captains to infiltrate the leading station and eliminate it! You may bring your lieutenants with you if so desired."

Byakuya then stated, "I have two responses, sir. Firstly, where exactly is the headquarters for these Combinado Hollows? Secondly, I cannot participate, I would prefer to stay and protect the Soul Society." In rejoinder to Byakuya's second statement, the Captain-Commander replied with an understanding nod, "If you so desire, but do you recommend someone to take his place?"

"I'll do it!" Ichigo immediately volunteered. "Ichigo, are you certain?" Byakuya asked as Renji and Rukia exchanged glances between quizzically. "100 percent!" Ichigo responded. "Then it's settled," Yamamoto announced, "Now as a response to your first address-"

"I believe _I'm _supposed to distribute that information." An all-too-familiarly and weirdly jovial voice cackled. Everyone directed their attention behind them. Mayuri stood there with Nemu by his side. "Captain Kurotsuchi." Soi Fon said. "So, the clown has the way to get to their blowhards?" Kenpachi groused. Mayuri sneered at Kenpachi's remark and said, "As of matter of fact, indeed. However, my subordinates at the research facility said that some troublesome Hollows have organized a perimeter around it, so I'm going to need some bodyguards to help me by."

"Bodyguards?" Kenpachi objected distastefully, "You're a captain, ain't ya? Take 'em down yourself!" Mayuri shook his head pityingly and retorted, "You simpleton. These Hollows are way more centralized than you give the credit. If were to traverse solely, I might be inflicted and, seeing as I possess the keys to unlock the door to our enemies' hideout, that would be rather unfortunate, hmm?"

"Captain Kurotsuchi makes a good point," Soi Fon added in, "so we'll accompany you on your way to your lab." Mayuri grinned and interjected, "Heavenly! Not let's not-"

"Hey, clown." A nearby, disgruntled voice called. The mad scientist looked over his shoulder curiously and saw a Combinado Hollow behind him currently melting away. "I can't believe you didn't notice this." Hono groused as he pulled out one of his Amaterasu blades from the Combo-Hollow as it melted into oblivion. Mayuri chuckled blithely and said, "You underestimate me, rookie. You simply had things under control so there was no need for me to react."

"Hono!" Ichigo exclaimed in surprise. Interestingly, Hono was not alone; he was accompanied by the remaining Rookie 5 members, Captain Unohana, and Isane. They all bowed respectfully in order to atone for their trespassing and sudden intervention. "Our sincerest apologies, sir." Unohana said. "We noticed Hollows trespassing your sanctum, so we felt obligated to exterminate them." Tsu Lung added. "Forgiven." Yamamoto announced as the bowing people stood erect once more.

"Well, let's head out, shall we?" Mayuri said as he walked out. "Hey, where are you going?" Hono questioned. "We're going to accompany Captain Kurotsuchi to his lab." Rukia answered as she walked past him. Hono felt shivers course down his spine. After all, he and Isane already knew what it was like to be in a madman's sanctum. "Hono, let's go with them." Raidon ordered. Said Soul Reaper looked at Raidon as if he was having a seizure. "The more, the merrier!" Mayuri shouted from the entrance/exit to the Main Assembly Hall. Grudgingly, Hono followed the captains and his friends.

**-****Shinigami Research and Development Institute-**

"Welcome to my institution." Mayuri welcomed as he and his accompaniment entered the establishment. Thankfully enough, everyone did not exactly enter his lab; they entered the main lobby where dozens of scientists and researches worked furiously on computer cubicles. At the back of the room was an extremely large computer screen displaying nothing but bright azure. Said machine was confronted by the group of Soul Reapers.

"Rin! Put the map on-screen!" Mayuri commanded. "Yes sir!" A voice responded somewhere deep within the compound. Suddenly, the bright azure screen presented a map of a remote area of Hueco Mundo. Not only did it include the structure previously seen, but a whole network of clear tubes and dark blue pillars connecting to the same types of structures and a central open-air 30-story tower. There was approximately 200 miles separating each domed structure.

"So that's where we need to go?" Ichigo asked for confirmation. "Indeed. This is the Unknown Area of Hueco Mundo. It is literally in the middle of nowhere." Mayuri responded. "What exactly is that?" Yukimano inquired since she, and among others, were not present at the past meeting. "The headquarters of the Combinado Hollows Captain Kurotsuchi found." Soi Fon responded. "Well, let's not waste anymore time." Ukitake said. The Shinigamis involved in the mission nodded and Flash Stepped away.

"H-Hey!" Hono interjected, "Were they the only ones assigned to this?" Byakuya nodded and replied, "Yes. Now come on, we need to protect the Soul Society." Each member of the Rookie 5 fell silent. Truth be told, they wanted to get engaged in the central matter. Especially since their respective captains and, imminently, lieutenants (disregarding Raidon since Byakuya and Renji opted to stay) were going straight into the heart of the problem. Everything at that point was going to be at maximum difficulty.

"Well?" The mad scientist of a captain spoke, "Leave and go start fighting!" The Rookie 5 remained even more hushed at Mayuri's promptness. "Do as he pleases." Unohana's soft-spoken and more sound voice urged. Wordlessly, the quintuple of graduates, with Isane and Unohana following, exited the Shinigami Research and Development Institute.

As soon as they got outside, Unohana spoke, "What troubles you five?" The Rookie 5 froze in their places when the Soul Society's best healer proclaimed their quandary. "…Please tell me you don't know what we were thinking…" Raidon uttered warily. "You want to go and assist don't you?" Unohana inquired. Obviously, she could tell she was absolutely correct. "Go." That previous statement now sent them, even her lieutenant, spiraling into mass confusion. "Isane and I won't tell a soul you went. Besides, you're just trying to help out the Soul Society." The Fourth Division Captain pronounced.

"…To either protect our home or assist our friends in ending this once and for all…" Yukimano suddenly stated. "I don't know about you guys, but, quite frankly, I want to be there when this finally ends." Aizonde opined. "Same here, Aizonde," Hono concurred, "Besides I don't want to do this menial crap, I want the real deal." Tsu Lung then pointed out meekly, "And don't forget, technically our orders to stay with our captains were never dismissed."

"Then it's settled," Raidon proclaimed as he unsheathed his falchion, "Take out your swords, guys. Since we're going into the unknown and we don't know what lies ahead, let's make another pledge." Aizonde, Tsu Lung, Hono, and Yukimano unsheathed their respective swords from their scabbards. Raidon extended his forward and the others placed their swords on top of his. "As our swords touch, let it link our souls and our friendship together," Raidon lectured, "When we part our separate ways, let that bond continue to reach out to us and keep us together! Guys, let's win this war and come back home together! Let us to not die!"

All the Rookie 5 members let an excited and heartfelt smile stretched across their faces. With that pledge finally spoken, they retracted their zanpakuto and put them back in their sheathes. Then, they turned to both Isane and Unohana and bowed with utmost reverence. "Thank you, both of you." The quintuple acknowledged in unison. "Think of nothing of it." Isane replied sincerely with a smile. Unohana nodded appreciatively, reached her into haori, and took a small vial of lavender liquid. "Here. Take this." She instructed. Tsu Lung approached the captain and accepted the vial. "What is it?" She asked. "In case of any of you get mortally injured, that vial of liquid will cure the most critical ailment affecting you at that time." Unohana explained. "Good luck." Isane wished.

After nodding to the top-ranked members of the 4th Division, the Rookie 5 turned to each other and nodded. "Let's go!" They concomitantly exclaimed as they rushed toward the bleak horizon where their destiny at Hueco Mundo awaits them.


	8. Captains vs Combinado

OK, here is next chapter to my story. I only proofread like the first twenty paragraphs for some reason. Perhaps this is officially the longest chapter of the story so far _and _the longest chapter I've ever written in my Fanfiction career. Yay me...Anyway, enjoy and inform me of any grammatial errors or inconsistencies.

**Disclaimer: **Bleach is copyrighted by Tite Kubo (characters, series, and concepts). The only elements that shall be exclusive to me will be my OCs and their respective original content.

**Captains vs. Combinado**

The pattering of rapid footsteps bombarded the sunlit sand of the desert of Hueco Mundo. Together, the assigned team of Soul Reapers raced across the white dunes, hoping to reach their destination shortly.

"How far off are we?" Ichigo asked as he balanced Zangetsu on his shoulder as he ran. "The first station isn't very far." Soi Fon responded with her sluggish lieutenant, Marechiyo, trailing behind her. Shunsui then suddenly sensed a disturbance come into being; whatever it is, an attack was accompanying it. "Everyone, watch out!" He alarmed. The Shinigamis immediately Flash Stepped to evade a highly lethal Cero from hitting them. The resulting miss created a huge, gaping crater in the middle of the pale sand.

"We're under attack!" Nanao exclaimed, reappearing with her captain. "Who's responsible?!" Soi Fon ordered making sure her words echoed across Hueco Mundo. "That would be me…" An unknown voice retorted from behind. Then, a bright green reiatsu-induced light illuminated from before her.

"SOI FON!" Every person in the vicinity yelled out.

Another explosion occurred. Every eye perceived Soi Fon being struck by the powerful Cero. With held breaths, the Soul Reapers waited until the dust subsided. The results were earth-shattering.

Marechiyo was on the ground right underneath Soi Fon, bathing in a small puddle of his own blood. "Marechiyo!" Soi Fon exclaimed in concern and knelt down to her fallen lieutenant. He was austerely damaged from whatever type of attack that just occurred. Cynical and remorseless chuckling sounded in front of them. The 2nd Division Captain looked up and glared heatedly at the assailant.

Judging from the creature's reiatsu, it was evidently a Combinado Hollow. Symmetrical butterfly-like wings stretched from the Combo-Hollow's spine. They never flapped, only remained inanimate as tiny traces of multi-colored Spiritual Energy fabricated a faint network of veins in the stain-glassed methods of flight. The main body was not too dissimilar in design; stain-glassed ivory decorated the main body with a deeper shade forming the contour of a sundress. Antennae of an identical dark shade of ivory extended from the Combinado Hollow's temples. Even with such oddly distinct features, it was surprisingly humanoid and even feminine.

"Should have known…" Kenpachi groused as he grasped the hilt of his nameless zanpakuto. "Don't unsheathe your sword, Kenpachi." Soi Fon suddenly spoke, "Go on ahead, I'll take care of this thing." Everyone gazed at her in puzzlement, but it was evident from her unflinching Spiritual Pressure that she was dead serious.

Ukitake nodded and addressed to the other Shinigami, "Let's go." "Right." With that, Soi Fon was left alone with her sole adversary. The 2nd Division Captain Flash Stepped out of view to position her wounded vice-captain at a safer radius. "Marechiyo, stay here and let me take care of this." Soi Fon requested as she reappeared in front of her opponent. "There are you! I actually thought you chickened out." The Combinado Hollow stated. "Hmph. What is your name?" Soi Fon interrogated as she unsheathed her sword from behind her, "I like to know the names of the people I kill."

The butterfly-like creature scoffed and retorted, "Arrogant, aren't you? Anyway, my name is Immune al Halcón (Spanish for "Immune to Falcon")."

"2nd Division Captain of the Gotei 13, Soi Fon." Soi Fon positioned her sword in front of her right arm. "Now prepare yourself! Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi!" In a quick flash of reiryoku, Soi Fon's sword altered into a black and gold gauntlet with a short "stinger" substituting her middle finger. In addition to that, her captain haori changed into her military uniform. Immune grinned when she saw the transformation and said, "Intriguing. I wonder how long you can last?"

The Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō suddenly appeared behind the airborne Immune. "You let your guard down." She said impassively as she stabbed Suzumebachi into Immune's spinal cord. The Combinado Hollow grimaced in pain instantly when her exterior was punctured by the diminutive blade.

Soi Fon gripped the stationary wings of Immune's after pulling out her Shikai. "Suzumebachi will leave a mark on the wounds I create." The Shikai's owner explained, "When I hit you again with it, death is certain. It's over." Just as when Soi Fon was going to thrust Suzumebachi into the same lesion, Immune audibly mumbled in a smug tone, "Why don't you check again?" Curiously and alarmed, Soi Fon diverted her attention to the spot of interest. Unbelievingly, the odd dark-violet stamp was not present on the bleeding hole. Her eyes widened in disbelief, "How is that possible?!" Just as swift as the previous attack was, Immune slashed Soi Fon diagonally across her left rib cage area. Taken aback, Soi Fon Flash Stepped to the ground, clutching her abrasion. "Perhaps this won't be so easy." She stated grimly.

"I know what you're thinking," Immune verbalized, ""Why didn't your Suzumebachi, as you put it, affect me like it was desired? Simple, my body is composed of Spiritual Particles and the Spiritual Energy of my second Hollow. This lovely combination grants immunity to any types of health ailments. Your Suzumebachi obviously falls into this category."

Soi Fon narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth in frustration, _"Looks like I can't end this in two shorts. I'll have to fight her in a circumspect manner." _ She contemplated. She dismissed her mental deliberations when she saw the Combinado Hollow glide straight at her. Soi Fon prepared herself, especially when she noticed multiple glints of sharp blades originating from Immune. The Combo-Hollow swooped down to her and swung the jagged, ivory blades on her arms. Soi Fon blocked them with her right-hand gauntlet, producing loud and sharp clangs.

A desire for distance beckoned; Soi Fon Flash Stepped to evade the next swing and appeared a considerable amount of meters away from Immune. When she deemed herself ready, Soi Fon intrepidly gestured to Immune for her to charge. Sneering, the stain-glassed Hollow did what Soi Fon challenged. When Immune dangerously approached the Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō, the latter gracefully jumped over Immune and landed on her back.

Immediately afterwards, she sliced across the lining where Immune's right wing and her body met. After releasing a small exclamation of pain, Immune lashed out her antennae at Soi Fon. Although surprised, the 2nd Division Captain grabbed both of them and cut them off. Infuriated, Immune shoved off Soi Fon aerodynamically and created aerial distance between them.

"Even if you are immune to my Shikai," Soi Fon said as she incorrigibly stomped the antennae into the ground, "that doesn't mean my skills don't exceed yours." Immune growled and spat back, "Is that so?!" Miraculously, a concentrated amount of reiatsu began to actuate a multihued aura around Immune. Soi Fon, against her will, felt nervousness manifest itself as cascading beads of sweat down her face. _"What type of Spiritual Pressure is this?!" _

The vaguely visible veins of Spiritual Energy in Immune's wings suddenly converted into a superfluous network of said energy inside her wings. _"Her Spiritual Pressure…ever ounce of it is conjugating in her wings!" _Soi Fon thought. "Rainbow Cero!" For the first time seen, Immune's wings flapped with much gusto. With this action, an energy wave of Ceros, each having the same colors seen on a rainbow, was released. The raw power of the Rainbow Cero eroded and dissolved the battlegrounds in an extemporaneous manner. _"Not good…" _Soi Fon thought grimly.

That section of the Unknown Area was doused with the most lethal rainbow alive.

* * *

Ichigo looked back at the immense of flash of colors obscuring the horizon behind him. He then asked, "Are you guys sure it was a good idea to leave her behind?" Ukitake replied, "Our numbers may dwindle, but we will still be able to continue on. Besides, Soi Fon was adamant in her decision. Wouldn't be good not to acknowledge that."

As Ukitake answered to Ichigo, Yachiru whispered to Kenpachi, "Kenny, do you feel that?" The gruff Shinigami indeed sensed another disturbance, only this one wasn't as straightforward as Immune; this entity was hidden. Kenpachi halted and freed his nameless zanpakuto from its sheath. "Kenpachi, what are you doing?" Shunsui questioned. The 11th Division Captain responded, "Someone has to exterminate the pest following us. Go on, it'll only take us a couple of minutes to kill it." The remaining Soul Reapers were reluctant again. Yachiru then piped in, "Don't worry! Kenny will make sure everything is A-OK!" After a couple more seconds of silence, the group nodded in acknowledgement and Flash Stepped away.

"Alright! Show yourself!" Kenpachi demanded with a roar. The sun-drenched, pale desert remained soundless and eerie. Just as he was going to yell again, a tremor reverberated throughout the area. A dune began to take shape in front of Kenpachi and Yachiru. The pile of sand towered above them when it attained its pinnacle. Then, the sand quickly cascaded off whatever entity was blanketed by it. "Perceptive…"

The sand washed away and revealed the creature. Not only did this Combinado Hollow seem five times Kenpachi's height and size, he resembled an android. Its cranium was long and outstretched (almost like the stereotypical alien's cranium), legs were connected into a single stand. Generally, the Combinado Hollow had off-white exoskeletal features (Hollow traits) and the black substance found in Gillians.

"Who the hell are you?" Kenpachi interrogated placing his sword on his free shoulder. "Coctelera de la Tierra (Spanish for "Earth Shaker")." Coctelera responded while crossing his bulky arms, "And you are?" "11th Division Captain, Zaraki Kenpachi." Kenpachi retorted. The Soul Reapers examined the Combinado Hollow from head-to-toe intently. "Hmm…I wonder if it's true that the bigger they are, the harder they fall?" He said letting a grin stretch across his face. As if routine-oriented, Yachiru jumped off Kenpachi's shoulder and took a seat at the highest structure in the vicinity, "Go get him, Kenny!" She cheered.

"You seem overly confident…" Coctelera stated as he uncrossed his arms and raised his right arm. The action resulted in a horizontal shadow covering an indifferent Kenpachi. "That, my friend, will be the death of you…" Quickly, the Combo-Hollow hammered down his right arm, creating a thunderous boom upon impact. But, resplendently, Kenpachi effortlessly blocked the attack with just his forearm. But, of course, the excessive force supplementing the attack caused the ground to form a crater below them.

Coctelera narrowed his eyes, "What is this…?" The scruffy captain clicked his tongue and retorted, "Pure power isn't going to win this battle unless you actually can harm me, dumbass." Before the Combinado Hollow could counter back, he felt numerous slashes striking his body. Kenpachi, who was now behind Coctelera, shook off the gravel and dust on his sword and said again, "Now you're dead." Punctually, yellow slashes retraced each and every spot Kenpachi hit Coctelera on. The sudden occurrence caused the recipient to twitch uncomfortably.

"What a shame…" Kenpachi moaned in a phlegmatic tone and began to walk away. "Never turn your back on your opponent." The unemotional voice of Coctelera advised. Before the thuggish person could react, he was suddenly slashed across his back with much more force than he applied. Kenpachi stumbled slightly a deep red wound was christened across the middle of his back.

Coctelera, who is unharmed and pristine, shook off the blood from his fingers. "I see you mainly rely on power to defeat an opponent," He lectured, "That is ineffective when concerning me. My defense and exoskeleton are hardened by my Hollow's Spiritual Pressure. I'm afraid you have no means of harming me." Coctelera eyed Kenpachi who was standing motionlessly. _"Oh? He is dead standing up?" _The Hollow thought.

This guess was proven incorrect when Kenpachi looked at the Hollow over his shoulder. "Impenetrable, eh…?" He stated, "You have no idea how many people have said that to me." Coctelera cracked his arm joints and retorted, "That so? Unfortunately, mine is genuine. I challenge you to try." Kenpachi grinned maniacally and charged headfirst, ignoring his recently-received ailment, "I think I'll take you up on that offer!" He hollered as he swung his katana at the Combo-Hollow ferociously.

Using the exoskeletal "arm warmers" functioning as his forearms, Coctelera blocked each shot as loud clangs shook the sand and rock. Normally, such failed repetition would frustrate the attacker; in Kenpachi's case, he was getting more excited and the increasingly wide psychotic smirk proved his. "Pest." Coctelera insulted as he blocked Kenpachi's with his hand this time. He closed his hand, retaining a firm grip on the sword. "Know when you're outmatched." The Combinado Hollow attempted to punch Kenpachi with his free mind. The 11th Division captain jumped over to dodge the punch (causing it to crash onto the ground) and ran up the length of the arm.

"I think I should test if you really _are _impenetrable!" Kenpachi bellowed as he jumped up to Coctelera's face and, with a mighty yellow streak, shattered the eye capsules on the Hollow's head. Coctelera screamed in pain as his sense of sight was suddenly robbed from him. Blood tumbled from his sockets and he furiously shoved Kenpachi away from him. "My…eyes…!" Coctelera groused in agony. "No matter how tough your shell may be, your head is _always _a weak point." Kenpachi explained with his grin still evident, "Now how are you going to fight what you can't see?"

Coctelera shielded his now-nonexistent eyes and hissed, "You think my power is limited to my eyes only…? You are sadly mistaken!" Removing his arms from his face, the void eye sockets were suddenly sealed up solid. Then, on his forehead, something began to crack open ever so slowly. Kenpachi watched warily since he was dealing with someone more inept at craftiness than he. As the crack created the perimeter of something, a faint red flash illuminated from underneath his thing. Now Kenpachi was on high alert. "Take this!" The Combinado Hollow shouted as whatever was on his forehead opened up and released a wide-range Cero.

"What the?!"

Another bright flash enveloped the horizon…

* * *

Now with their numbers dwindling greatly, the remaining squadron of Soul Reapers hastened their quest. Rewardingly, they were now running down the final tube-outlined section of pillars that would ultimately led them to the tower where Hutike waited.

The pathway was tube-outlined, mentioned beforehand, and was rather spacious and floored with dark blue tile. Interestingly, the way the pillars were designed was the only evidence that the path was tube-outlined; they were warped to make it seem that way. In-between the gaps of the pillars were deep black screens resembling the lens of sunglasses. The sunlight is visibly seen through the material, yet the hallway was considerably dark. Even though it was a major difference from the desert, the pathway could still be used as an adequate battlefield.

And if you are not convinced, then prepare yourself…

Ukitake sensed another disturbance and, just like the rest of them, were dangerously adjacent. "Look out!" He warned. "Taste my Cero!!!" A disorderly and rambunctious voice hollered from somewhere in the general direction in front of them. Because of Ukitake's prior forewarning, the Soul Reapers were able to avoid a highly-concentrated, fire-engine red Cero. The beam of reiatsu exclusive to Hollows surged through the hallway, effectively disintegrating tile and chipping the oddly-structured pillars.

"Who's there?!" Ichigo shouted in interrogation, preparing Zangetsu for an assault. "Right here, dumbass!" The voice spat. Everyone looked above and beyond them to see a rather unique Combinado Hollow. It was generally a cross between a scorpion and a spider. Its four legs kept him underside down on the tube-outlined pillars while his scorpion tail swished idly. His skin was of a dark red and inky black color and four dark green eyes leered at the Soul Reapers hungrily.

As Kiyone cowered behind her captain and Sentarō stood petrified beside him, Ichigo stated, "Damn it, I always hated insects." The arachnoid diverted his leer to the orange-haired Substitute Shinigami and retorted, "You wanna say that at my face?" Ichigo smirked and countered, "Sorry. I don't want bug-breath infecting my lungs."

"Wiseass…" The Combinado Hollow arachnid jumped down from his original position and landed on the tile. "So…I have some lovely Soul Reapers to devour." He cackled viciously, "This ought to be fun." Just as Ichigo was getting ready to unleash his Bankai, he felt a hand touch his shoulder. "Captain Ukitake?" Ichigo questioned, looking over his shoulder at the white-haired captain.

Wordlessly, Ukitake bypassed Ichigo and confronted the Combinado Hollow. "I am Jūshirō Ukitake, Captain of the 13th Division of the Gotei 13," the snow-haired male introduced and then proclaimed, "I am your opponent." The Combo-Hollow grinned and said, "That so? Well then, my future meal, I am Abismo de Arácnidos (Spanish for "Abyss of Arachnids")."

"Ukitake, are you sure about this?" Shunsui asked from behind. Without turning to him, Ukitake nodded and replied, "I am. Go on ahead." With that confirmation, Nanao, Shunsui, and Ichigo proceeded to hurry past Abismo and make their way to the tower entrance. "Hey!" Abismo shouted, "I'm not letting you go! You all will die at my-"

"All waves rise now and become my shield, lightning strike now and become my blade!" Before Abismo had the chance to finish this statement, a golden-red light suddenly illuminated from where Ukitake was. The 13th captain grasped his sword with both hands (kendo style). Then the golden-red light began to peel apart the sword, creating two blades and two hilts. As such happened, Ukitake said to his 3rd Seated companions, "Kiyone, Sentarō, try to stay hidden. Just leave this me." Without defiance or question, the two Soul Reapers positioned themselves near the left side of the tube-shaped pathway (Kiyone hid behind a pillar while Sentarō stood in front of it). Ultimately, Ukitake's Shikai, Sōgyo no Kotowari, formed.

Abismo's four eyes leered at the dual zanpakuto, examining each of its features, and stated, "Two blades, eh?" "Correct." Ukitake stated as he swung the right-hand zanpakuto. Said action created a huge, spiraling whirlpool of water. The surge of waves sucked in the four-legged Hollow. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" Abismo shouted as the whirlpool whish-washed him relentlessly. "My Shikai, Sōgyo no Kotowari." Ukitake responded as the left-hand sword sparked large quantities of electricity. He walked over the now-stationary whirlpool and lightly touched it with the electrified sword.

Because of the fact that water conducts electricity, the whirlpool absorbed each and every spark of electrical energy and amplified its shocking capabilities hundredfold. Abismo screamed in pain as the attack practically penetrated his exoskeletal and nervous layers. The reaction remained in effect for approximately forty-five seconds until the whirlpool evaporated into oblivion. The arachnoid Combinado Hollow fell to the ground on his scorpion tail. Panting, he icily stated, "So, your sword is a goddamn Kido-type, huh?" Ukitake simply nodded while keeping his zanpakuto at his sides. _"I always loathed freaking Kido-types…" _Abismo thought, _"But the fact that he has _two _blades instead of one balances out my advantages." _

"Then I guess I should use my special ability." Abismo announced with a smirk. He suddenly obtained a flowing sable aura as his eyes transfigured into dangerous slits. Ukitake, alarmed, held up Sōgyo no Kotowari cautiously. _"Special ability?" _He thought. "I know what you're thinking, Shinigami…" Abismo said as the aura solidified so that his body's outline was thickened by black reiatsu, "my special ability to called "Double Disaster". It sucks that you have two blades because that increases _my _power; every aspect of it!" The white-haired captain's eyes widened in shock, "Your power increases just because I have a dual zanpakuto?"

"Damn right." Abismo retorted, "Now let me show you the results!" Opening his mouth as wide as possible, concentrated, bright ebony energy began to collaborate inside his gaping throat. Shooting his head forward, an atramental Cero was discharged from Abismo's wide-open oral caverns. Staying true to his ability, the Cero was twice the size it was previously, and twice the power.

"Captain! Watch out!" Sentarō informed in exclamation. Even with such notice, Ukitake retained a calm demeanor. He held up his left-hand sword, the tip of the blade pointing at the wide-range obsidian Cero. The energy-based attack collided with the sword, creating the effect of a sonic boom upon impact. Abismo laughed cockily and triumphantly, thinking that he successfully eliminated Ukitake.

"Allow me to introduce you to _my_ special ability…" Ukitake suddenly articulated, stunning the arachnoid Combinado Hollow completely. Second-by-second, the Cero began to reduce in mass and density. Ultimately, the Cero disappeared enough to reveal Sōgyo no Kotowari sucking it in by the left-hand sword. "Sōgyo no Kotowari is able to siphon energy-based attacks." The white-haired captain explained as the energy visibly coursed from the blade and through the rope attaching the bases of the swords. Ukitake then pointed the right-hand sword at Abismo, "And send it right back at you."

From the tip of the extended blade, Abismo's stygian Cero was expelled back at the user. "WHAT THE HE-" Before the Hollow could even finish his cry or react, he was struck with his own Cero. The accelerated speed at which it was delivered added more power to it. The pillars outlining that section of the pathway collapsed from the raw intensity of the Cero; predictably also burying Abismo underneath their clutches.

"Captain Ukitake, you did it!" Kiyone shouted happily as he removed herself from the pillar. "Kiyone, what would you expect?" Sentarō responded with a smirk. The rubble that potentially buried Abismo never twitched in the slightest; not to mention his Spiritual Pressure was much weaker than before. Ukitake concluded, "I suppose I did. Now, let's catch up with them."

The moment all three Soul Reapers moved, Abismo's Spiritual Pressure was suddenly revitalized. Ukitake shot his attention back at the rubble, just in time to see an evil, lime green tint within its shadows.

"Eye of Gaia…"

* * *

Ichigo, Shunsui, and Nanao, the only remaining group of Soul Reapers not fighting, made their way into the tower. They continued to hasten their pace; thankfully, they were rewarded with the fact that they were on the middle of floor of the tower. "Good, if we keep up this pace, we'll make it to the top in no time." Ichigo announced, currently way ahead of Shunsui and Nanao. "Just don't overdo yourself." Nanao cautioned as she ran side-by-side with her captain.

Out of the blue, large flat turquoise shards cut off Ichigo from Shunsui & Nanao. "What the hell!?" Ichigo exclaimed as he turned to look at the happening. "This can't be good." Shunsui said grimly.

"Indeed it's not." A womanly voice confirmed from somewhere on the shards. The three looked up to see another Combinado Hollow; this time, the person was completely human-shaped but its whole body and gown-like clothing was pure turquoise glass. Her pure blue eyes gawked at the captain and lieutenant blocked off by her enormous shards.

"Who are you suppose to be?" Nanao interrogated whilst adjusting her glasses. "Casco de la Serenidad (Spanish for "Shards of Serenity"). At your unworthy service." The turquoise Combinado Hollow familiarized. "I see." Shunsui said and then hollered loud enough for Ichigo to hear, "Ichigo! Go on without us! Seems like she won't let us pass!"

The orange-haired Shinigami stayed quiet for a while, evidently reluctant to leave behind the last bit of accompaniment. But, just like the others that offered to stay behind, he respected their wishes (especially since they were forcibly barricaded). "Got it! Leave everything else to me!" Ichigo responded determinedly. With that, the sole Soul Reaper continued his quest, now having fate on his shoulders.

When Ichigo left, Casco shattered her shards and landed on the ground. The shiny broken glass disappeared into oblivion. "And may I have the name of my opponent?" She requested. "8th Division Captain, Shunsui Kyōraku." Shunsui replied as he unsheathed his dual zanpakuto, knowing a battle was impending. Casco grinned and chortled, "I see. Nice to meet you, Shunsui. But I'm afraid whether you like it or not, I will the last thing you will ever fight." Unaffected by her taunts, Shunsui handed his pink kimono and straw-hat to Nanao and ordered, "Stay a fair distance away from us. This might get ugly." "Yes sir." The 8th Division Lieutenant Flash Stepped away and reappeared at the side of a pillar located on the wall of the room.

Shunsui set his two blades together in the form of a cross, saying, "Tell me, Casco, do you enjoy games?" Casco's grin widened as she replied, "Absolutely. Why do you ask?" The flamboyant captain's dual zanpakuto were suddenly enveloped in a pink light as a small draft flowed through the room. "Well, prepare yourself then. My zanpakuto will make children's games real. When you win, you lie, when you lose, you die…" Shunsui stated and uttered his chant, "Flower Wind, rage and Flower God, roar. Heavenly Wind, rage and Heavenly Demon, sneer!"

Shunsui removed the blades were their current position as the pink light became a brief rose-colored flash. As sakura petals flowed gracefully in the manmade breeze, Shunsui's dual zanpakuto became two huge, heavily-curved, black Chinese scimitars with silver edges. "Katen Kyōkotsu."

Casco eyed Shunsui's Shikai in apparent (and eerie) glee, "The Spiritual Pressure your sword is emitting. Is it a Kido-type?" Shunsui positioned his two swords in a cross just like before their transformation and responded, "Maybe, maybe not." He then thrust the swords outward, exclaiming, "Bushō Koma!" Suddenly, a tornado (with sakura and rose petals in it) enveloped Casco. "Here's our first game! Whoever can keep the tornado up the longest wins!"

Casco's grin never faded as she blithely examined the spiraling gale of wind and flowers around her, _"So he really does have a Kido-type. This works to my advantage." _ She thought. However, in the midst of her thoughts of malice, more than half of the rose and sakura petals in the tornado disappeared and the gale's velocity decreased dramatically. "Keep your eye on the prize!" Shunsui shouted as he sliced one of his swords across Casco's body. The turquoise Combinado Hollow managed to block the sword with a crystal arm-shield she spawned from her own body. Though, Shunsui was able to chip some of her glass shoulder off. _"I see. The tornado loses speed every time he destroys those petals…"_ She thought.

Retaliating, Casco transformed the arm-shield into a turquoise katana (still attached to her arm) and slashed at Shunsui. The 8th Division Captain blocked it effortlessly; however, Casco elongated the blade's length so the tip nipped some of his cheek. When that happened, a sakura petal reformed into the tornado. The twister also accelerated slightly. "So every time you deal damage to me, I lose some petals and the tornado loses speed. Every time I deal damage to you, I gain petals and it goes faster." Casco observed intelligently.

Shunsui smirked and Flash Stepped back, forming some distance between him and his crystalline opponent. When Shunsui revealed himself again, he had a tornado enveloping him as well. "Correct. Bushō Koma is a game where we each have a wind column and flowers surround us. Every damage dealt does everything you just said." Shunsui explained. Casco chuckled gleefully, "I'm starting to enjoy these games." T

he 8th Division captain then performed Flash Step to appear directly in front of Casco and placed his index finger on her forehead, "Hado #1: Sho!" He yelled. Blue energy was emitted from his finger and a massive amount of force was inputted onto Casco. But amazingly, nothing happened.

"What the devil!?" "Nice try." Unexpectedly, Shunsui felt the force that he originally intended to hit Casco with exert upon him; not only that, he felt a sharp item slash across. The captain was blown back a couple of meters away; his tornado had dramatically decreased in speed and quantities of petals. Shunsui placed his arm on the wound across his chest to suppress the blood, "Not bad." He commented. _"But my Kido spell didn't work. Sure I don't like using it, but I know I'm very good at it!" _

To add insult to injury, Casco swung her crystal katana multiple times. This unleashed energy slashes reminiscent of a Bala. Shunsui held up Katen Kyōkotsu protectively, expecting the attack to strike him. However, the slashes wound up surging into the tornado above him. When he looked up, every last petal was disintegrated by the attacks and his tornado vanished. "Impossible!" "You lose…"

By the effects on his own Shikai, Shunsui was inflicted with pain. He growled in frustration and inquired, "What did…you do?" Casco retracted her blades back into her glassy skin and replied, "You never said we could manually destroy the petals." Shunsui grinned and stated, "Like to exploit loopholes, don't you?"

Casco grinned back and asked wonderingly, "Do you have any more games?" Shunsui stood up confidently and riposted, "Don't worry your pretty little head. The games have only begun."

* * *

Immune analyzed her work with pride and joy; she successfully created an extremely large crater of destruction. The colorful reiryoku in her wings lingered in the networks of veins in them. "Heh. Looks like my Rainbow Cero grinded her away into nothingness."

"Not likely."

The adjacency of the contradicting statement frightened the butterfly-like Combinado Hollow. "Sting all enemies to death! Suzumebachi!" Soi Fon, suddenly behind Immune, stabbed her stinger into her spine one more time. This time, the small Shikai was able to do its job. A black flower-shaped stamp appeared on the wound. "You said your Spiritual Energy creates whatever blocks my Shikai's ability." The 2nd Division Captain spoke, "But I noticed when you did your attack, you transferred _every _ounce of it into your wings. This, in turn, left you wide open."

Immune's gasps of surprise informed Soi Fon that her observation was absolutely accurate. "Now you're dead. Nigeki Kessatsu!" Soi Fon retracted her gauntlet-covered arm back and shot it at the wound. Surprisingly, the stamp began to increase in size against Soi Fon's will. As a result, she stopped her Nigeki Kessatsu and jumped off Immune. Immune turned to face Soi Fon with the evilest smile a butterfly-like Hollow could muster.

Astoundingly, the stamp disappeared out of thin air. "What the?!" Soi Fon exclaimed. Then, the same black markings used to create the mark outlined the veins of reishi in her wings. The wings themselves gained a lilac tint. The stain-glass that created the sundress on Immune's body was now colored a deep violet.

"I commend you for locating that loop hole." Immune remarked with her new appearance finalized, "But no one ever said I never wanted you to find it." "What did you say?" Soi Fon responded disbelievingly. "This is another of my special abilities. Not only am I immune to ailments, if someone manages to strike me with something during the brief period after my Rainbow Cero, I can absorb that power and use it for myself!" Immune triumphantly explained.

"So you can use my Shikai's ability!?" Soi Fon cried out in utter incredulity. Immune suddenly appeared behind Soi Fon and responded loudly, "Indeed!" She then slashed Soi Fon across her back. The petite captain screamed in pain as her own mark appeared on her back. Quickly, the petite captain Flash Stepped to the other side of the crater. "Heh. What's the matter?" Immune arrogantly questioned, "Afraid I'll kill you with your own technique?" Soi Fon stayed indifferent until she let a grin appear on her face. "Why are you smiling?" Immune inquired, her confidence fading. Soi Fon turned around to present her marked back to the Hollow. A light violet flash, the stamp disappeared.

"My Suzumebachi possesses a counter-poison whenever myself is stung with it. Apparently, even a mimic's fall under that category." Soi Fon explained.

"So if your Shikai won't work, then why don't you use your Bankai?" Immune suggested. Soi Fon's eyes narrowed at her. She could make out the malice hidden in that recommendation. "Because," Soi Fon answered, "I'm not stupid." _"And it would be unfortunate to in this situation."_

"Then I suppose this is the limits to our abilities, but rest assured I will kill-"

"Although…" Soi Fon suddenly said, interrupting Immune. The Command-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō extended arm that was garnished with her gauntlet sideways. "I have one more thing up my sleeve…Shunko!" In a miraculous occurrence, bright but broad silver Kido began to intensely stir around Soi Fon. This was more notable around her arm; a full spiraling cylinder of silver Kido (in the form of wind) was present there.

"Oh? What's this?" Immune asked, both intrigued and cautious. "Shunko," Soi Fon replied, "a combination of Hakudo and Kido. This will suffice you more than my Bankai." Sneering, the airborne Hollow glided at Soi Fon, exclaiming, "Let's see about that that!" Accepting the challenge, Soi Fon charged at Immune with her dense Shunko prepared to strike. But before they became in close proximity of each other, Immune flapped her wings and fried her Cero. The 2nd Division Captain used Flash Step to dodge the attack completely.

She then reappeared directly in front of Immune and sliced across her torso. Growling, Immune retaliated by thrusting her blades forward. Soi Fon evaded by putting herself in a handstand position and countered by delivering a helicopter-kick to Immune's left temple.

Soi Fon continued her actions so that multiple kicks practically punished Immune's head. When she left as if she did enough, Soi Fon performed a double drop kick upon Immune's face, sending the Combinado Hollow back a considerable amount of distance. Immune stretched out her wings so that she would regain composure mid-air. Her left temple's exterior had cracked and was slowly expelling droplets of blood.

"I'll kill you!" Immune shrieked as she rapidly flapped her wings. A sharp zephyr took gusted through the area. Soi Fon waited patiently for her moment to strike to arise. The gale approached her and, the second she felt her shoulder get cut, she used Flash Step to practically blend herself into the wind. Flabbergasted, Immune frantically increased the velocity of the zephyr, hoping to shred Soi Fon to pieces.

"You shouldn't have done that." The Shinigami's voice reassured. Soi Fon's wind-based Shunko dispelled Immune's zephyr, revealing herself to be directly in front of Immune. "You're finished!" Soi Fon exclaimed as she jabbed her whole gauntlet/arm through Immune's midsection. "Sting all enemies to death!" Despite her Shikai's effects being fruitless, Soi Fon removed her arm from her enemy's body, increased her Shunko's intensity around her Shikai, and, in one swift movement, bypassed and slashed Immune, "Suzumebachi!" The dreaded stamp, along with violet energy, surrounded Immune upon receiving the deadly blow.

When Soi Fon landed on the ground, the stamp faded away as blood from two spots on Immune's body; one being where Soi Fon initially stabbed her, and the other being a long horizontal slash starting from one wing, across her chest, and stopping at the other (as a result from Suzumebachi).

The 2nd Division Captain deactivated her Shunko and watched the Combinado Hollow fall from the sky and onto the ground. "Like I said," she spoke, "you may have copied my Shikai, but my skills vastly trump yours." Immune lied still and bleeding on the desert sand. No could discern if she was alive or not. Wanting to confirm such, Soi Fon walked over and examined the motionless body. "Seems like she died." Soi Fon announced and then walked the other way.

"Get…back here…!" A breathless voice threatened. Soi Fon turned back around to see Immune painstakingly stand up. "…You are just what your appearance is, a bug. One that needs to die." Soi Fon remarked. "I'm not..gonna lose to the likes of…you!" Immune replied as she charged a Cero. Soi Fon turned around and readied herself, thinking, _"As soon as I dodge this, I'll finish her off."_

As soon as that assumption was made, Immune's bright green Cero suddenly had broad sable markings envelope it. _"What now?!" _Soi Fon exclaimed mentally. "When I absorb people's power," Immune spoke, "not only do I use their abilities…_my _power changes too!" To prove herself, the Hollow released her modified Cero. It did not discharge in a normal beam-like fashion, it scattered around the vicinity like scurrying vines.

Dumbfounded, the female captain attempted to evade the widespread Cero; however, one of the separate beams hit her shoulder. This created a chain reaction, like multiple fireworks the transformed Cero exploded simultaneously.

* * *

Clouds of dirt concealed his target. It enshrouded if he finally eliminated his foe or not. Coctelera peered into the fog of eroded sand, wanting to know his results. Coctelera had discharged his Cero from a hidden component of his forehead, a third eye. Unlike his nonexistent former set of eyes, his third eye was in a vertical position (as if his eye was turned upwards) with his iris/pupil still in its normal horizontal position. "Hm. He's finally dead." The now one-eyed Coctelera proclaimed.

Suddenly from the dirt, powerful surges of golden reiatsu flowed from it. This was followed by maniacal laughing. The dust thinned out to reveal a partially unharmed Kenpachi with allusions of golden skulls behind him. "What is this abomination?" Coctelera queried. "I must admit, if I hadn't taken off my eyepatch," said Kenpachi, "That surprise move of yours would have got me." Coctelera narrowed his eye at the gruff captain and asked, "What is that suppose to imply?"

"My eyepatch seals some of my Spiritual Pressure. I've got so much of it, I can hardly enjoy a fight. This makes it easy for me to prolong it." Kenpachi answered as his golden Spiritual Pressure began to flare up again. "Now…how about I take a crack at that armor of yours?!" Without giving the Combinado Hollow a chance to respond, Kenpachi charged recklessly at him and swung his nameless zanpakuto. Coctelera held up his left arm and blocked with his forearm. Unlike last time, there was much more power supplementing Kenpachi's swing; Coctelera actually was being pushed back. _"Grrr…I loathe his power!"_

Repeatedly, Kenpachi hammered his sword onto Coctelera's left forearm. Even with his increased strength, nothing was being punctured on the Hollow's body. Even so, the 11th Division Captain was getting more and more enthralled by the fruitless efforts, only becoming more erratic. With a puissant holler, Kenpachi jumped and grasped his sword in a kendo fashion. Coctelera held up his forearms defensively, expecting this block to be just like the rest.

Immediately upon impact, Coctelera's left forearm shattered. Surprised, the Combinado Hollow created as much distance as possible between him and his opponent. The exoskeleton on that part of his body was practically gone, revealing black substances underneath. "Impossible…" Coctelera murmured. Kenpachi chuckled victoriously and idly shook his blade. His reiatsu kicked up massive amounts of dust upon each shake. Coctelera exchanged glances from that marvel and his damaged arm, which was beginning to oddly crackle electricity. _"Exactly what is my opponent?" _The Hollow thought.

"Looks like your armor isn't as impenetrable as you thought," stated Kenpachi, "Now that I know I can break it, I'm can go on to shattering your ass to pieces!" Just after Kenpachi said that, weird mechanical noises began to sound in the battlefield. Quizzically, he searched around trying to discover the origin. "You're supposed to be observing me." The Hollow spoke. Kenpachi looked at his opponent to see its supposedly damaged left forearm beginning to mechanically transform (also shredding the remainder of its exoskeleton) into what seems to be a black, metallic cannon.

"Hm. So not only are you a Hollow, you're made of metal," the Eleventh Division leader stated, "Big whoop…" Coctelera aimed his cannon at Kenpachi and countered, "Whoops this." A quick and powerful Cero was discharged from the cannon. Activating his insanely Spiritual Pressure, Kenpachi swung his sword directly at the Cero. The crimson beam was cut in half, yet a lot of power was still forcing Kenpachi to skid back. The Soul Reaper began to laugh crazily again, enjoying the thrill of combating such an opponent. "That's it! Give me more of that hidden power of yours!!" Kenpachi requisition practically screaming his lungs out.

"Tch. You're a maniac," Coctelera reprimanded, "Battles aren't always about strength and crippling attacks, you have to strategize as you fight. After all, brain over brawn." "Like I believe in that bullshit!" Kenpachi charged forward, his zanpakuto slicing Coctelera's Cero effortlessly. "Then you shall offer your life to me." The Combinado Hollow scoffed as he cancelled his Cero.

Kenpachi appeared in front of him and swung his sword. Calmly, Coctelera raised his right forearm to block it. The katana managed to slice it as well. But immediately afterwards, his right hand mechanically transfigured into a multi-barrel firearm-like weapon. Then, the barrels rotated and released multiple Ceros like machine bullets. Kenpachi, being directly in front of the Hollow, was violently pelted with Cero bullets and blown back quite a distance.

When the onslaught ceased, the captain Shinigami was wounded some more, this time having welts scattered across the front side of his body (in addition to the back wound he received at the start of the fight). "Sturdy…" Coctelera remarked shaking the residual smoke off his right-hand weapon. "You're just full of surprises aren't you?!" Kenpachi snarled excitedly, "Come on! Show me more of them secrets, Hollow!" Coctelera could not believe the nature of his opposition; not only was he strong, he was insane, and both conditions supplemented each other to increase his power. _"I'm going to have to conclude this soon." _The Combinado Hollow thought, _"But how?"_

As Kenpachi lunged at Coctelera once more and proceeded to swung madly, the latter evaded such strike whilst scrutinizing his surroundings to see if the natural world would be his ally. Kenpachi hammered his nameless zanpakuto down, only for it to be sidestepped by Coctelera. Yet, upon impact to the sand, dust and sand kicked up which deterred sight.

Instinctively, Kenpachi inputted his immensely dense Spiritual Pressure into his nameless sword and blindly swung. The utter power of the golden energy dispersed the sand. Surprisingly, Coctelera had not twitched an inch, he was _still _in proximity of the captain. "Didn't run away, I see." Kenpachi said with a smirk, "Wise choice."

"I happen to know much more about wisdom than you." Coctelera responded as he raised his left-hand cannon toward his third eye. His eye dilated as a thick rim of brown surrounded the outer sclera. The sand that Kenpachi brutally cleared away suddenly ensnared him and wrapped around him like a rope. "What the hell?!" Kenpachi exclaimed as he struggled wildly. For some strange reason, the clingy sand felt like iron. "Here is another one of my power, the manipulation of earth." Coctelera announced, "I must admit, you have come quite a ways for me to resort this."

Kenpachi grunted loudly as more golden Spiritual Pressure blazed around him. Multiple golden skulls accommodated this energy. Only through the strength of his Spiritual Pressure, Kenpachi freed himself from the binding sand. _"...Impossible! No living soul can break through sand manipulation exclusively by Spiritual Pressure!" _Coctelera mentally shouted. Now, he would have to think of something else to claim victory over Kenpachi.

While he deliberated, Coctelera simultaneously unleashed crimson Ceros from his cannon and "gun" at Kenpachi. The latter simply ran to avoid connection with the powerful blasts. In the midst of this idle assault, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Yachiru was cutely spectating the match on an elevated cliff. That was when he formulated his plot, to seemingly attack Yachiru and have Kenpachi rush to her aide. Then, he would deliver the final blow.

"Is that all you got, Hollow?!" Kenpachi roared questioningly as he evaded yet another Cero. "Show me some of the earth manipulation you got!" "Fool…" Coctelera, bluntly, aimed his cannon towards Yachiru's general direction and discharged at a thin, laser-like Cero. The bubblegum-haired lieutenant when she saw the point at her, but the trajectory was off.

Nevertheless, from Kenpachi's perspective , the Cero connected against the cliff, resulting in a dusty explosion.

"YACHIRU!!!!!"

* * *

Protectively, Ukitake pushed Kiyone and Sentarō out of the way. A sinister lime green and black aura ensnared Ukitake making him grunt in struggle and pain. "Captain Ukitake!" Both 3rd Seated members of the Thirteenth Division exclaimed. The aura around the white-haired captain traveled to his chest and formed a sinister lime green and black Egyptian-style eye.

"Ha ha! Got you!" Abismo exclaimed victoriously and emerged from the rubble, throwing it off him. Ukitake suddenly felt his tuberculosis kick in with an exponential effect. He violently started coughing up blood as he collapsed to his knees. "What did….you do…?!" Ukitake hoarsely interrogated trying to suppress his bloody wheezes. "That's my Eye of Gaia." Abismo responded with an evil smirk, "Once I get you like I just did, that eye on your body will inflict you with venom. Or, if you already have an ailment, will worsen its effects."

Kiyone gasped in sadness and surprised, "But Captain Ukitake has tuberculosis!" "So?" Abismo responded evilly. "You fiend!" Sentarō hissed heatedly. "Thank you." Abismo countered in mock appreciation. Ukitake finally managed stop coughing yet could still feel the increasingly bad conditions provided by Eye of Gaia. "Kiyone… Sentarō….go back to your spots." He ordered breathlessly. "But Captain!" Sentarō exclaimed defiantly. "Do…as I say. Please." The tubercular Soul Reaper interrupted, standing back up. "Captain…" Kiyone uneasily whispered. Finally giving into their superior's demand, Kiyone and Sentarō returned to their spots.

"Persistant,eh?" Abismo said, "Though I should've known you would rather not die slow and painfully." Ukitake held up his right-hand Sōgyo no Kotowari sword whilst uttering an inaudible chant. "Huh? Speak up!" Abismo demanded. "Bakudō #9: Hōrin!" Ukitake exclaimed as a yellow and orange tendril shot out from his right-hand zanpakuto. "What the hell?!" Abismo cried out in shock as the tendril entangled all four his legs. Like a lasso, Ukitake manipulated the Bakudō spell so that Abismo was captured like a hapless cattle. "Hey, you son of a bitch, cut this shit out!" Abismo yelled rambunctiously.

Coughing out more blood, Ukitake concentrated and released a spiraling torrent of water from the sword utilizing Hōrin. The water traced the direction in which the Bakudo spell went and splashed the trapped Abismo. "Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle!" Ukitake chanted as extended his left-hand sword. "Hadō #63: Raikōhō!" A massive wave of golden electrical energy was discharged from his sword.

The electrical Hado spell collided against the arachnoid Combinado Hollow. Its intensity was heightened enormously because of the fact that it was colliding against a wet surface. Abismo shrieked in pain and started to flail around uncontrollably. Thankfully for him, Ukitake could not continue to keep up this onslaught. The Eye of Gaia worsened its effect causing its victim to fiercely cough up more blood. As a result, all of Ukitake's Kido spells wore off.

"Your Kido crap is pissing me off!" Abismo screeched rowdily. Ukitake dropped his zanpakuto and collapsed to his knees again, practically regurgitating the dreaded red fluid. Abismo cruelly chuckled at the sight and commented, "Hurts, doesn't it? Suffer, Shinigami!" Wanting the snow-haired captain to undergo more torment, Abismo charged up a shadowy Cero and fired it. He deliberately help back the bulk of the Cero's power to effectively taunt Ukitake.

"Captain Ukitake!" Kiyone screamed out in distress. "Get up! Please!" Sentarō pleaded desperately. Ignoring his plight, the sick captain painstakingly grabbed his dual zanpakuto and stood up. Unsteadily raising the left-hand sword, the obsidian Cero was imbibed into the blade. The energy coursed through the rope. _"This again? Heh, I know how to dodge this crap now."_

"Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws." The tubercular captain chanted the spell and fired a burst of blue spiritual energy. To augment the Hado spell's power, the right-hand Sōgyo no Kotowari fired the redirected black Cero. Both energy-based attacks melded together, creating a black wave of spiritual energy. Overwhelmed and petrified, Abismo could only watch in horror as the combination attack connected upon him.

* * *

"Now for our second game! Takaoni!"

A plethora of rose and sakura petals circled around the two adversaries and dispersed. The petals idly levitated in the air throughout the whole middle floor. "Whoever is the highest after the set duration wins!" "Bring it on!"

Swinging one of his swords, Shunsui sent some of the petals at Casco. The crystalline Combinado Hollow tapped the tile with two fingers and elevated herself with turquoise pillars. The razor-sharp petals wound up injecting themselves into the glass. "No you don't!" Shunsui said as he manipulated the rose petals nearest to him. Forming a spiraling pattern of petals, the 8th Division Captain was elevated into the air.

Casco tapped the crystal pillars she stood on and they fired needles of glass at Shunsui. The captain retaliated by making sakura petals form a makeshift shield in front of him. The petals blocked the needles easily. Casco manipulated her needles so that it would move them aside. When they did, Shunsui was not behind the shield like she expected. "Behind you!" The captain's voice informed. Casco turned around just in time to see a flurry of rose and sakura petals fly at her. The petals hit their mark, scraping and wounding the Hollow's exterior. After inflicting damage to their opponent, the flurry of petals traveled downward and shattered more than half of the pillars' height.

Casco caught the edge of the remnants of her pillars. Before she could make anymore, Shunsui, from above, swung the left-hand Katen Kyōkotsu. Instead of firing another flurry of petals, a wave of Kido energy was discharged. Casco smirked and let the attack connect against her. "That should keep her ground-level for awhile." Shunsui proclaimed. "Think again." Casco objected as her body effortlessly repelled the Kido energy. "Again?!" Shunsui exclaimed in shock as he was struck by his own attack.

The 8th Division Captain's levitated platform of petals disappeared upon impact and he started to fall. Casco chuckled as the pillar she was grabbing extended a branch underneath her. She safely landed on it. Regaining his composure, Shunsui created another levitating platform underneath him. _"Great, that was _two _times my Kido was deflected…what is she made of?!" _Shunsui thought.

When he saw Casco continuing to rise farther ahead of him, Shunsui quickly activated another one of his abilities, "Third game! Irooni!" The rose and sakura petals in the room started to shift colors of every kind. Casco looked at occurrence in confusion, "What? I thought were already playing a game?" "Cyan!" A flash of cyan-colored petals reflected off of Casco crystalline body. As a result, when Shunsui Flash Stepped behind Casco and slashed her, massive amounts of damage was inflicted to her. This even included her exterior shattering where she was hit and spewing out a lot of blood.

Casco slipped off her pillars as a result only to fabricate more to catch her. "Heh. I think we should make the odds even more intense. Two games in one. Irooni is where you call out a color. If the color is on your opponent's body, massive damage is inflicted. If not, practically nothing happens." Shunsui explained as multiple splotches of colors appeared on his body as a result of the constantly-moving multihued flower petals around him.

Even through her pain, Casco smirked and said, "Ready to press your luck, Shunsui Kyōraku? White!" Unfortunately for Shunsui, his captain haori was nothing but white. Because of such, when Casco's pillars stabbed him with spires, he was imposed with searing pain. Realizing that another game was still going on, Casco created more towers of crystal; these pillars continued to increase their height. When Shunsui saw Casco get higher than him, he exclaimed, "Blue!"

Since turquoise was essentially a shade of a blue, some of the multihued petals flew at her and mortally wounded her some more. She screamed in pain and her pillars finally ceased enlarging their height. "Now's my chance!" Shunsui exclaimed as he used his physical strength break off the needles still injected into his body. He then commanded his platform to continue lifting him upwards. "Get back here!" Casco demanded as she fired a turquoise Cero. The flamboyant captain made multihued petals block the attack. "Orange!" Casco yelled out as threw crystalline shuriken around the flower petals. The wall of flowers dispersed on contact. "No good!" Shunsui announced. There was no trace of orange around his body, so the shuriken did little damage to him. Casco growled and continued making her pillars rise.

"Heh. I think one of our games is about to end…" Shunsui announced coolly, continuing his ascent. Casco, frustrated that she was still below Shunsui, retaliated by action; she launched a whip-like spire upward. The Eighth Division paused and backed his platform away, easily evading the attack. Consequently, the spire hit the ceiling. Then, shards (attached to the ceiling) extended from it. Surprised, Shunsui stopped his platform. But, when he did, Casco used her whip-like spire and elevated her up. The whip straightened out as Casco hung upside down, stopping directly in front of Shunsui, face-to-face.

After that happened, all the rose and sakura petals brightly turned crimson in unison. "Time's up." Casco pronounced smugly. Because she face-to-face with Shunsui upside down, Casco was higher than him. Although flabbergasted, Shunsui managed to utter something, "Red…"

Casco's eyes widened as Shunsui swung his right-hand zanpakuto upward, slashing across the middle of her body. The bright red petals reflected their color off Casco's and Shunsui's bodies; therefore, this strike was more lethal than the rest. However, the effects of Takaoni endowed Shunsui with mortal wounds as well.

As the shards and flowers disintegrated into oblivion, Shunsui and Casco simultaneously fell from the air exhaustedly. Nanao spectated this battle uneasily as she tautly gripped the items in her arms. _"At this rate, either one of them could die…"_

Shunsui excruciatingly stood back on his feet, as did Casco. "Pretty…good…" He commented, panting heavily. "Back..at you…" Casco replied just as breathless. "But..we have one game to play." The Eighth Division Captain announced, "Kageoni…" Upon that utterance, both Shunsui and Casco's shadows broadened in texture and solidified. "Whoever steps on a shadow loses…" He stated. He then swung his right-hand zanpakuto and expelled his shadow at Casco. _"You can manipulate these things?!" _Casco mentally exclaimed.

She put aside her thought when the shadow became dangerously close to her. To prevent it from actually touching her, she tapped the ground and summoned shards to barricade the shadow. Shunsui growled in frustration at his failed attempt. Then, crystalline spires fired from the shards. Shunsui raised his shadow over his body to prevent the spires from hitting him. He then waved his arm, a command for the shadow to throw off the spires (which it did).

Immediately after he did, a turquoise Cero obscured his vision. Simply, he Flash Stepped to avoid the attack. Casco stood atop of another crystalline pillar, panting from her recent Cero release. "How are you going to win if you won't use your shadow to beat me?" Shunsui asked from behind. Alarmed, Casco punched her pillar and caused a thorny "bush" of glass to surround her. Thankfully for her hastiness, she avoided Shunsui's shadow that was closing in for the finisher.

The "bush" shattered to reveal Casco not hidden in its clutches. In fact, Casco only did that to get back to the tiled floor. _"I..hate..this game!" _Casco mentally cried. Sadly, Casco was unable to figure out how to manipulate her shadow like Shunsui was doing. Consequently, she became frustrated, and it didn't help that her wounds and exhaustion were ailing her. "The object of the game is to make your opponent step into a shadow. You're still relying on your exclusive powers." Shunsui spoke again. Casco made shards around her, forming a makeshift obelisk. Luckily again, this stopped another shadow from coming toward her. "Where are you?!" Casco exclaimed questioningly as she poked her head from the top of her barrier. The Eighth Division Captain was nowhere in sight.

Suddenly, the shadows jetted and punctured through her obelisk making the glass shatter loudly. Gasping, Casco created crystalline saw-blades on her forearm and proceeded to cut the shadow down to size. "My, my. You suddenly became desperate." Shunsui remarked from behind her. Casco turned around but saw nothing. "Behind you." He said again. Casco turned around once more. This time the injured and exhausted Shunsui stood approximately 2 or 3 meters from her current position.

The Combinado Hollow attempted to attack again, but noticed her darkening surroundings. "Shame that you did not utilize your shadow," Shunsui articulated, "You could have done a variety of things such concealing yourself and attacking me." Upon that statement, the Shunsui's shadow, which was the surroundings themselves, shot at Casco. "But now you're finished."

Casco raised her hands up to her head and said in contradiction, "Not likely…" She then snapped her neck causing her shattered into many pieces of glass. Before Shunsui had a chance to meditate on what just transpired, giant mirrors circled around him and his shadow. "Allow me to introduce you to my…special ability." Casco spoke stepping out of the reflective glass. "I…have the ability to repel and reflect Kido energy…" Shunsui's eyes widened and thought, _"So that explains it!" _

"And these…are my mirrors. I enjoy games…so, in addition to yours, here is mine!" Casco said. Not wanting to stick around and figure out what her version of a game was, Shunsui commanded his shadow to strike. Casco jumped back into her mirror which displayed an astral version of herself. The shadows stabbed this image and broke the glass as well. "Well…guess that's one down.." Shunsui stated as checked out the other mirrors. Oddly enough, the mirrors were constantly replaying Shunsui's shadow striking their identical counterpart.

"What the..?" The captain whispered in bewilderment as he watched the constant replays. Then, the mirrors illuminated and shot out identical shadows at Shunsui. "What the devil?!" Shunsui exclaimed as he did Flash Step to evade the attack. "My mirrors can reflect any attack aimed at me whenever I retreat into them…" Casco spoke as from directly behind Shunsui. The captain jumped and rotated around. The crystal Hollow was indeed behind him but was not going to strike. "You lose…" She uttered.

Shunsui did not want to believe what she just verbalized. Slowly, he looked down to ground. To his horror, Casco's motionless shadow was right underneath his feet. "And..I didn't…have to move it one inch." Casco proclaimed with a weak smirk. As the mirrors shattered away, Kageoni unleashed its fury upon the loser. Shunsui was brutally (and miraculously) sliced.

* * *

Soi Fon collapsed onto her knee with her breathing harbored. She was bleeding profusely many spots on her body. The battle was taking its toll on her and that last modified Cero potentially drained her energy. "Told you…" Immune spoke as fluttered her wings and became airborne once more. "Now..I'm going to finish this!" Once again, all of Immune's Spiritual Pressure began to collaborate in her wings. Unlike last time, it was denser and black markings surrounded her while it happened.

"_There's no way I can avoid it this time!" _Soi Fon thought, _"I really might have to use my Bankai!" _Curling herself into a ball, Immune shouted, "This is the end! Rainbow Cero!" She uncurled herself and released a dark violet, black, and ivory Rainbow Cero. A dome formed and increased in size, dissolving the sand, rock, and trees in the vicinity instantaneously upon touch.

Soi Fon raised her arms in front of her face to keep the strong reiatsu away from her eyes. "Now or never…Ban-"

"Don't waste your breath, Captain."

* * *

Kenpachi run straight into the dust and smoke to try and located his lieutenant. "Yachiru! Yachiru! Speak to me!" Kenpachi shouted while blindly looking through the clouds. "Yes, Kenny?" A voice piped in. The clouds subsided to reveal Yachiru, still standing on the edge of the cliff, completely fine and unharmed. Quizzically, Kenpachi checked where Coctelera was actually aiming. Only the right portion of the cliff was destroyed, the Cero was _way _off. _"I know his aim isn't this terrible. What was he trying to accomplish?" _Kenpachi thought.

All of a sudden, ropes of sand tightly gripped around Kenpachi's elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles. Then, they were accompanied by stone spikes jabbing straight into the marked locations. "Kenny!" Yachiru exclaimed in fear. "This is why savages such as yourself can never best strategist like I." Coctelera's voice stated in a slightly agitated tone. Kenpachi struggled to free himself; the sand and stone completely immobilized his major body hinges. He couldn't even move his nameless zanpakuto one inch. "I was not targeting your associate, I was merely leading you into a trap." Coctelera explained. The Combinado Hollow was still where he was originally. His arms were crossed and his eye was closed.

"Grr..Freaking Combinado Hollow…!" Kenpachi roared as his golden Spiritual Pressure exploded out of his body. "That won't help you this time!" Coctelera objected as he reopened his third eye. It was glowing red and preparing to fire a Cero. He also aimed his cannon at the trapped Kenpachi. "Die!" The Combinado Hollow discharged two powerful crimson Ceros. The Eleventh Division Captain's reiatsu managed to free its owner, but, unfortunately, the Ceros were an inch from connecting against. "KENNY!" Yachiru exclaimed as her distressed voice echoed throughout Hueco Mundo.

"What's the matter, "Kenny"? Got cold feet?"

* * *

The mixture of Kido and Cero collapsed nearly half of the trail. The modified pillars and black shading buried Abismo alive…or perhaps this was his final resting place?

Ukitake collapsed onto the ground, no longer able to continue fighting his worsening tuberculosis via the Eye of Gaia. His breathing was notably shallow and his clothes were drenched with blood from coughing. His stamina was siphoned and he started to become light-headed. "Captain!" Both 3rd Seated members ran over and attended to their captain. "Oh, man. He's getting worse…" Kiyone grimly announced with a sad frown. Sentaro gritted his teeth, "What are we going to do…?"

"He. Is. _So._ Fucking. DEAD!"

Black Spiritual Pressure exploded from the pile of rubble, reducing it to nothing but specks of forgotten sediment. Abismo roared mightily as he freely let his Spiritual Pressure condense dangerously. Even with such negative zest, the Combinado Hollow was in much pain, especially from that last blast from Ukitake. "I'm gonna rip him to shreds!!!!" Abismo howled as his four eyes lost their slit-pupils and glowed lime green sinisterly. "EYE OF GAIA!!!!" Purely out of frustration and madness, Abismo fired the energy from his eyes; something not intended to happen initially. The lime green and sable energy formed a perfect Egyptian-style eye. Protectively, Sentaro and Kiyone covered their captain, wanting to take the blow themselves.

"Bakudo #81: Danku!"

* * *

"Captain Kyōraku!" Nanao cried out and immediately ran toward her fallen captain's aide. Shunsui laid face-first on the tile bleeding from his wounds. Casco, meters away, sat on the ground bleeding just as profusely. She watched the dark-haired lieutenant tend to her captain, either out of pity or respect.

"Nanao-…chan…" Shunsui said breathlessly as he was flipped over onto his back. "Try not to talk, Captain." Nanao stated tenderly. Although she was doing her best to comfort him, there was nothing she could do to actually heal him.

"Well, I've seen enough." The crystal Hollow declared heartlessly and stood up. Nanao's dark blue eyes shot a venomous glare at her and shouted in question, "What's that suppose to mean?!" Casco raised her arm and spontaneously created turquoise spikes in the air. "It means I'm going to finish you two off together." Casco fiendishly replied and threw them. Nanao gasped in horror and placed her body over Shunsui protectively, despite knowing those spikes could puncture both of them easily.

"My, didn't anyone teach you not to strike a fallen man?"

Immune's modified Rainbow Cero suddenly was split in half by a controlled wind funnel, Coctelera's double crimson Ceros were pierced in half by orange flames, Abismo's Eye of Gaia was blocked by a tall, glassy rectangular wall, and Casco's spikes were destroyed by a crescent-shaped wave.

"WHO ARE YOU?!"


	9. A Rookie's Role

**Disclaimer: **Bleach is copyrighted by Tite Kubo (characters, series, and concepts). The only elements that shall be exclusive to me will be my OCs and their respective original content.

**A Rookie's Role**

_Curling herself into a ball, Immune shouted, "This is the end! Rainbow Cero!" She uncurled herself and released a dark violet, black, and ivory Rainbow Cero. A dome formed and increased in size, dissolving the sand, rock, and trees in the vicinity instantaneously upon touch. _

_Soi Fon raised her arms in front of her face to keep the strong reiatsu away from her eyes. "Now or never…Ban-"_

"_Don't waste your breath, Captain."_

"_Die!" The Combinado Hollow discharged two powerful crimson Ceros. The Eleventh Division Captain's reiatsu managed to free its owner, but, unfortunately, the Ceros were an inch from connecting against. "KENNY!" Yachiru exclaimed as her distressed voice echoed throughout Hueco Mundo._

"_What's the matter, "Kenny"? Got cold feet?"_

"_EYE OF GAIA!!!!" Purely out of frustration and madness, Abismo fired the energy from his eyes; something not intended to happen initially. The lime green and sable energy formed a perfect Egyptian-style eye. Protectively, Sentaro and Kiyone covered their captain, wanting to take the blow themselves._

"_Bakudo #81: Danku!"_

"_It means I'm going to finish you two off together." Casco fiendishly replied and threw them. Nanao gasped in horror and placed her body over Shunsui protectively, despite knowing those spikes could puncture both of them easily._

"_My, didn't anyone teach you not to strike a fallen man?"_

_Immune's modified Rainbow Cero suddenly was split in half by a controlled wind funnel, Coctelera's double crimson Ceros were pierced in half by orange flames, Abismo's Eye of Gaia was blocked by a tall, glassy rectangular wall, and Casco's spikes were destroyed by a crescent-shaped wave._

"_WHO ARE YOU?!" _

As the wind funnel dispelled the Rainbow Cero easily, a dignified female voice responded, "Who am I, you ask?" After the calamity ceased, a dark emerald-haired Shinigami introduced herself, "I am Sōtatsu Yukimano. Pleased to acquaint you."

"Yukimano?!" Soi Fon exclaimed in surprised and questioned, "What are you doing here?!" The Fujin-wielder turned to her captain and responded, "Sorry. Couldn't stay away from the fun." The 2nd Division Captain remained quiet but eventually admitted, "Well, I'm glad you're here. I could use the help."

"Why you!" Immune shouted as she fired a Cero at her newest opponent. Yukimano impassively looked at the Cero and swung her wind-based Shikai. A sharp gale of wind was released from it and shredded the Cero to bits. Before the butterfly-like could react, she was assailed by the same gust. As her blood flew into the air, fragments of her body fell to the ground.

------------------

"Does it matter, tall, freaky, and ugly?" A rambunctious and somewhat sarcastic voice snapped back. The particles that made up the Cero were reduced to nothing but solid, magmatic sparks. "Because Teiduhura Hono's gonna be kicking your ass from here to Mexico." Hono cockily proclaimed.

"Rookie?" Kenpachi said disbelievingly. "Hobo-kun!" Yachiru cheered elatedly. Hono collapsed onto the floor in a weird manner but quickly back up and yelled, "My name is "Hono" not "Hobo", Yachiru!" The Eleventh Division then spoke smugly, "I could've taken that Cero without a problem." Hono turned to his superior and countered back just as boastfully, "Then why didn't you?"

Coctelera glared at his newest opponent in disgust. He then said distastefully, "Please tell you are not as dismal as your acquaintance." The graduate diverted his attention to Coctelera and responded heatedly, "So what if I am? Like I said, it doesn't matter because you're going to die!" Hono, with Amaterasu's Shikai blazing in his hands, charged at Combinado Hollow with Kenpachi. "GET HIM, KENNY AND HOBO-KUN!" Yachiru cheered energetically.

"Infernal Shinigami!" Coctelera yelled infuriately. He discharged a Cero from his cannon at Kenpachi and multiple, weaker ones at Hono from his "gun". The two Soul Reapers evaded the blasts easily. Kenpachi then said, "Hono, dude says his armor is impenetrable. But, I cracked through it. Still, you should be careful when attacking him." The fiery Shinigami nodded in acknowledgement and replied, "Think you can do it again? I got a plan."

Kenpachi grinned sadistically as he yelled, "Watch me!" The animalistic captain lunged forward at the Combinado Hollow. Coctelera counted by uprising stone pillars in an attempt to protect himself. "I don't think so!" Kenpachi roared viciously as his golden Spiritual Pressure eroded the stone. "Impossible!" Coctelera exclaimed now completely wide-open. With a guttural bellow, the 11th Division Captain sliced his nameless zanpakuto across Coctelera's torso, shattering the exoskeleton and exposing his metal.

Before Coctelera could even fathom what just transpired, Hono Flash Stepped in front of him and stabbed his left-hand Amaterasu into the exposed metal. "Hope you like the feeling of lava!" Hono said as he pulled out of his zanpakuto and Flash Stepped away. The wound where Coctelera was stabbed began to bubble and expel steam. The wound then excreted pure red-orange magma. "What is this?!" Coctelera screamed in pain. "My Shikai's ability is allows me to change whatever I cut into lava. Face it, Hollow, you're going to be reduced into a puddle."

Amaterasu's dreaded effects began to kick in, all visible metal on Coctelera began to melt into wax. "Impossible! Absurd!" Coctelera yelled hysterical as a puddle of metal wax and Hollow exoskeleton began to form underneath him. As his size began to decrease, his screams also died down. "Brain over brawn, my ass." Kenpachi commented as he watched the Combinado Hollow be reduced to a boiling puddle of his former self.

---------------

"Answer me, goddamnit! Who the fuck are you?!" Abismo screamed in outrage. His four eyes were bleeding from the misuse of Eye of Gaia, but this was the least of his problems. "Xioyuna Tsu Lung." The soft-spoken Rookie 5 member introduced herself as she knelt down to the suffering Ukitake. "Xioyuna-san!" Kiyone called out as she and Sentaro went towards her.

"Ts-su…L-Lung…?" The sick captain hoarsely said, "Wh-what…are-" Tsu Lung placed her captain's head on her lap as she interrupted him, "Don't speak, Captain Ukitake, you're injured." Reaching into her sleeve, she pulled out the vial Captain Unohana bestowed her. "Drink this. You will be rectified of your ailment." Tsu Lung instructed as he poured the healing liquids into Ukitake's mouth. Immediately afterwards, the Eye of Gaia symbol shattered into many useless Spiritual Particles.

Abismo's four eyes widened to the point it was possible he could use his optic muscles at rip them out. "Bitch….!" He screamed. Mindlessly and blinded by fury, he resumed firing lime green and black Spiritual Pressure to the Bakudo spell. Just like last time, all attempts were effortlessly blocked by the wall.

As Abismo continued his failing rampage, Tsu Lung instructed to the 3rd Seated Members, "Kiyone, Sentaro, please take Captain Ukitake with you. I'll fight this Combinado Hollow." Sentaro objected, "What?! If that menace was able to take down Captain Ukitake, how can you?!" Soundlessly, Tsu Lung shifted her briste eye's gaze toward Abismo, who was still firing Eye of Gaia at the Danku, "I'll manage. Please, go."

Without any more protestation, Kiyone and Sentaro picked up their captain and guided him to their hiding spot. Tsu Lung stood up and faced her opponent and dispelled the Bakudo spell. "Finally! Now I can kill your ass!" Abismo proclaimed arrogantly.

Tsu Lung unsheathed her rapier from its scabbard, flipped it so that its hilt was upward, and recited, "Illuminate the Dark Midnight…" From wherever the moon shone in Hueco Mundo, a stream of sparkling, Alice-blue moonlight burnished the rapier. "Mikoto." The blade of Mikoto elongated, and then it curved to form a hook-like sickle. The hilt also became the image of a Blue Moon. Furthermore, faint Alice-blue moonlight continued to glisten around Tsu Lung.

"Heh. Let's dance, sweetheart!" Abismo hollered as released a black Cero at her. Counteracting, Tsu Lung accumulated moonlight into Mikoto via her Spiritual Pressure. Then, as she swung her Shikai, the female Shinigami released a moonbeam of identical intensity as Abismo's Cero. Both attacks collided and completely destroyed that section of the pathway. Dust and smoke kicked up, causing Tsu Lung to cover her mouth and cough.

"Way to let your guard down!" The vociferous Combinado Hollow yelled. Tsu Lung suddenly saw a quick blast of Spiritual Energy darting through the smoke and dust. The Bala attack connected against her right shoulder, eliciting a spew of blood and cry of pain. Tsu Lung fell to one knee as she tenderly placed a hand onto her bleeding injury. _"Gotta be careful…" _She thought. "Awww, bleeding already?" Abismo derided in a mock-babyish tone.

Tsu Lung glared at the arachnoid Combinado Hollow; rather, at least attempted one. Tsu Lung seldom glared or raised her voice at someone, even an enemy. It was one of her weaknesses. Another one was the fact that she is defensively frail. She notably cannot withstand the same amount of punishment her friends could.

"_I'll show him!" _Tsu Lung mentally declared as she took back on her feet. "Bakudo #62: Hyapporankan!" A rod of energy suddenly materialized in Tsu Lung's hand. Then, she hurled the bar at Abismo. Grinning, he readied one of his legs to smack it away. However, before so, the rod disintegrated into multiple rods. "Shit!" As the Bakudo spells struck the Combinado Hollow, he was firmly immobilized where he stood. "Fucking Kido!" Abismo spat angrily. "Hado #4: Byakurai!" Flash Stepping in front of Abismo, Tsu Lung placed a finger at the center of his face and discharged a white bolt of lightning from the fingertip.

It wasn't as potent as beforehand seen Byakurai, but it certainly did its job. A well-aimed shot right between the eyes damaged Abismo's brain. When the Bakudo spell wore off, he collapsed onto the ground. "Aww, bleeding already?" Tsu Lung sneered playfully, returning the mock Abismo made previously. Giggling at her own antics, Tsu Lung began to approach the 3rd Seated Members.

"Xioyuna-san did it!" Kiyone happily and hyperactively cheered. Sentaro flashed an impressed and thankful smirk at the meek Soul Reaper.

"…..D-….damn…you…"

-----------------

"Perfecture Aizonde. Pleasure to meet you." A cool and nonchalant voice introduced. The wave that was thrown at the spikes died away. The spikes themselves shattered immediately upon impact with the amassment of water.

Nanao looked up in disbelief, "Aizonde?! How did you get here?!" Letting the arm that swung Ryujin drop to his side, Aizonde replied, "My friends and I followed you guys. I actually got here earlier, but I stayed away to watch the battle." The dark-haired lieutenant snapped in retort, "'Stayed away'?! Why didn't you help Captain Kyōraku?!" Indifferently, the dual blue-haired Soul Reaper looked at the lieutenant and responded, "To learn who I was going to fight. You don't just jump into a battle without at least knowing an excerpt of you foe's strength. While I was doing so, I learned how to beat her."

Before Nanao could react again, Casco screamed, "So you wanna a piece of me too, eh?!" Aizonde diverted his focus onto the crystalline Combinado Hollow and responded, "Indeed I do. This is you punishment for attempting to harm Kyōraku-san and Miss Nanao." Threateningly, he pointed his Shikai directly at Casco. His next statement was directed at the two behind him, "Captain, Lieutenant, stay away. Whatever happens, don't move. I'll finish this."

Nanao did not object. After all, the graduate seemed very serious and determined in his objective. "OK. Don't fail us." Nanao stated as she Flash Stepped, carrying Shunsui, back to her hiding spot. "Tell me, Perfecture Aizonde, is your zanpakuto a Kido-type?" Casco asked. "I'm not going to mince words. Indeed it is," Aizonde answered, "but it won't matter to you." Casco laughed energetically and evilly, replying, "Oh, how wrong you are! Kido is my strong suit! Whenever I fight an opponent using Kido, those attacks are instantly repelled and reflected, making me immune and damaging you with your own skill."

"Thanks for answering my unrequited thoughts, dumbass." Aizonde uttered as he swung Ryujin. Another mighty crescent-shaped wave was expelled from the blade. Casco tapped the ground and summoned towering shards to block the wave. Upon connection, the water-type attack caused the shards to shatter and collapse. "What Spiritual Pressure…" Nanao quietly commented from the sidelines as she watched the shards fall from grace.

"Well that was no fun…" Casco groused and then surveyed, "Please tell me your zanpakuto has games like your fallen friend. I absolutely adore them."

"Games, eh?" Aizonde muttered, "Well, then I have a game for you." The Ryujin-user unnecessarily flipped his hair, "And it's called…" He suddenly Flash Stepped and reappeared high in the air above Casco, "STAY ALIVE!" Collecting great amounts of water in Ryujin, Aizonde descended and swung his blade. Casco blocked the attack with two crystallized katana; however, the force on impact rivaled that of a tsunami making a touchdown. To add to the effect, two large waves formed upon connection.

Aizonde continued to add pressure onto Casco's katanas, increasing the size of the waves being produced from the blade. Casco could barely match the strength supplementing the attack. Then, her katana started to crack, unable to prolong the struggle. "Uh oh!" Casco exclaimed. Her katana shattered as Aizonde's Ryujin slammed downward. The two waves exponentially increased in size, obscuring Nanao and Shunsui from being able to see if Casco was hit or not.

Aizonde smirked with shut eyes and commented, "You lose…"

--------------

Ichigo halted to a stop as the final staircase to the top came into view. At the summit was a large opening with traces of light peeking out from it. "He's up there." Ichigo said as he freed Zangetsu from its bandages. "Don't tell me you're going to have all the fun?" A confident voice questioned from behind the Substitute Shinigami. Turning around, Ichigo saw Raidon approaching him. "Hey, aren't you that Raidon guy Hono told me about?" Ichigo asked. "That's right. Thought you could use some backup." Raidon stated as he unsheathed Raijin from his back.

Ichigo smirked and rested Zangetsu on his shoulder, "Well, let's go kick some ass then." "Let's." The two Soul Reapers then sprinted up the stairs and into the entrance that awaited them.

Upon entry, they were greeted with a domelike, circle-shaped room. Large green tubes traced the circumference of the room along with complicated machinery. "So you have arrived…" A voice said. Raidon and Ichigo looked towards the middle of the room to see Hutike standing patiently with his hands in his pockets. "Hey, you're that guy that kidnapped that child!" Raidon exclaimed observantly. "Indeed I am…" Hutike heartlessly replied.

"Alright, so who the hell are you?" Ichigo interrogated. "My name is Asukake Hutike. Creator of the Combinado Hollows." The former Espada said, "And this is my assistant, Usude." The human Combinado Hollow appeared beside his master and greeted, "Salutations."

"Well, listen up, you madman," Raidon spoke, "this Combinado Hollow stuff ends today!" Hutike cracked a grin and chuckled sinisterly, "So foolish. My experiments have only begun!" After he said that, Hutike snapped his fingers. The green capsules around the room suddenly lit up and revealed numerous carcasses. These corpses were of many Pluses, old and young, falling prey to experiments. Raidon and Ichigo's eyes widened in horror, never had they seen something so cruel.

"You see, Shinigami, my Combinado Hollow project will continue to live on. My ambitions don't stop in the rudimentary state they are in currently. After I do away with you two, I will christen a new form of Hollowfication and Shinigamification! NO ONE WILL STAND IN MY WAY!"

Then, immense Spiritual Pressure surged out of Hutike's body. It was unnaturally dense and powerful; Ichigo and Raidon had to hold up their respective zanpakuto to try and shield themselves. The Arrancar's ceil-colored reiatsu was so strong that the domelike structure began to crack and weaken. "Steel your nerves, Shinigami…," Hutike advised as large quantities of metal fell from the ceiling, "Mercy is not in my vocabulary…"

Hutike's ceil Spiritual Pressure exploded, almost destroying the whole top floor. But despite the density of the reiatsu, it subsided seconds after the burst. Ichigo and Raidon Flash Stepped back into the now-destroyed top floor. "Man, he's unreal…" Raidon remarked gazing at what remained of the top floor. "Even so, we gotta take him down!" Ichigo said as he began to run across the floor and debris, "Come on, Raidon! His Spiritual Pressure's this way!" "Right, Ichigo!" The two Soul Reapers Flash Stepped from atop the tower and onto the sandy ground at the foot. Then, they sprinted at highs speeds pursuing the Arrancar.

Usude appeared back at the top of the tower via Garganta and watched the Shinigami follow the trail of his master's reiatsu. "I don't know what's worse…" the human Combinado Hollow muttered, "my master's ways or these two Shinigamis."

* * *

"Nice shot. That ought to kill her." Soi Fon observed as she watched Immune's left arm, both of her legs, and half of her wings reach the sand. The Combinado Hollow stayed still and airborne as her blood dripped from her edges. "She's not moving…" Yukimano stated. "Hmm…" Soi Fon hummed in thought. _"If her body is truly lifeless and weak, she should've fallen." _

Immune's broken wings began to shift upward so that they almost rested on her shoulders. Then, new windy wings formed from underneath the damaged ones; essentially, she now has two pairs of wings (despite two of them nearly destroyed). Lastly, her skin darkened a light grayish state.

"Blast it!" Soi Fon exclaimed in frustration. "What happened?" Yukimano questioned with her guard up and ready. "She probably absorbed your technique," the 2nd Division announced, "I was hoping it would kill her before so."

Cracking the "bones" in her neck to alleviate some of the pain in her body, Immune grinned weakly and said, "Looks like I've been given an extra boost…" Yukimano's eyes tightened as she frowned, "Does it matter? You're outnumbered…" Soi Fon cautioned, "Careful, Yukimano, one can easily take down an army when one knows their blind spots."

"Exactly my idea…"

The two 2nd Division members turned around swiftly, only to be caught in purple gale. Multiple yet small cuts lacerated the bodies of Yukimano and Soi Fon. "Now that I have wind-based abilities, I'm much faster!" Immune screamed in declaration as she flapped her wings. "Like it matters!" Soi Fon objected as she Flash Stepped behind Immune. The butterfly-like Hollow smirked and disappeared, leaving vibrational sounds in the process. _"She's using Sonido!" _Soi Fon thought.

"Captain! Watch out!" Yukimano warned as she swung Fujin and sent sharp gales at wherever the point of attention was at. Soi Fon, heeding the warning, Flash Stepped away. Thankfully she avoided a slash from Immune, and it also left her wide open for Yukimano's attack (which hit her). Appearing beside the dark emerald-haired Soul Reaper, Soi Fon strategized, "Yukimano, I'll keep distracting her while you keep attacking her with your gales." Yukimano nodded understandingly, "Got it."

"Take this!" Immune shrieked as she fired a standard Cero. _"So she can regulate her types of Ceros..." _Soi Fon deliberated as she and Yukimano avoided the attack. "You can't escape forever!" The Combinado Hollow swished her arm and released black, aerial darts at the duo. Yukimano manipulated another gale so that a thick sheet of wind blocked the attack.

"Bakudō #30: Shitotsu Sansen!" From behind Yukimano, a golden triangle materialized and three beams of light. "Hurry and make one behind Immune!" Soi Fon instructed from behind. "Roger that!" Yukimano swung Fujin and materialized another wall of wind behind the flabbergasted Combinado Hollow. The three pins struck Immune's wrist and ankles and restrained her to the wall of wind.

"Got her. _This _shall end this!" Soi Fon determinedly announced as stood beside Yukimano. "Hadō #54: Haien!" Soi Fon swung her gauntlet and released a blast of purple Spiritual Pressure toward the trapped Hollow. To compliment the Kido spell, the female rookie created yet another gale. The windy attack melded with the Kido attack, essentially forming a small column of purple fire.

Immune's countenance became that of horror and trepidation as the combination attack slowly approached her…

* * *

"YAY, KENNY AND HOBO-KUN!" Yachiru jumped up and down in joy after seeing the two Soul Reapers claim supposed victory over the Combinado Hollow. "Well that was fun while it lasted…" Kenpachi remarked as he looked at the small pond of wax. "Yeah…" Hono absentmindedly agreed.

Just as the two were going to turn foot and depart, a monstrous creature emerged from the pale-colored sand behind them. "Defeat is not an option to savages such as you!" The two Shinigamis' eyes widened as a metallic object shook off the sand on it. "No...way…" Hono murmured in disbelief.

Outrageously, Coctelera survived, but his appearance drastically changed. The metal on his torso was gone completely (revealing nothing but inky black substances), his cannon arm and gun arm were disheveled but still functional, and half of his cranium was gone. He did not even look like a Hollow now, just damaged machinery. As electricity crackled on his mechanical parts, he grudgingly said, "I admit you have pushed me to the extremes, but the time of play ends now!"

As a cause for alarm, Hono Flash Stepped both him and his captain a couple meters away as Coctelera presented his back to them. The panel on Coctelera's back slowly opened up like a bidirectional door. Sickeningly, the black substances consisting Coctelera's body started to shift and swivel irregularly. The mechanical Combinado Hollow itself groaned grotesquely. As blood seeped out from the panel, the black substances in Coctelera's body proceeded to exit from the open panel.

Kenpachi spectated this odd scene with a fluctuating straight face; Hono, on the other hand, placed his left arm sleeve on his mouth and blatantly announced, "I think I'm going to be sick…"

Ultimately, every ounce of the black substances came out of the panel in the form of three black, floating orbs. Coctelera himself underwent notable changes to his appearance. He was now half his former size (roughly a little taller than Kenpachi) and all of his mechanical parts connected together in unison (save for some spots where machinery was gone). "Now I present you my true power!"

When that was said, the three orbs began to morph into three different forms. "I am one of those special Combinado Hollows that was made of three Hollows, including my machinery. As such, this allows me to release all three of my special Giga Gillian Hollows!"

The farthest left orb was now an airborne Giga Gillian Hollow with a red mask and bat wings made of cobwebs. It possessed no legs or arms. The middle orb was now a sloth-like Giga Gillian Hollow with a silver mask. The farthest right orb was a Giga Gillian Hollow with the appearance of a king cobra. Its mask was gold.

"So it went from a two-on-one to a four-on-two…" Kenpachi observed. He then cracked an excited grin across his rugged face, "This fight keeps getting more fun by the second." Hono idly rotated the right-hand Amaterasu as he recommended to his captain, "You take two, I take two?" "As long as I get metal man." "Fine by me."

With that, the two Shinigamis charged at Coctelera and his Giga Gillian Hollows. Coctelera grabbed the Giga Gillian with the gold mask, "You meld with me. I don't have enough strength to act on my own…" The mechanical Hollow opened up a mouth-like component on his face and consumed the tail of the Gold Giga Gillian (GGG). A flash of reiatsu illuminated for seconds and then revealed the results; Coctelera, up to his hip, was connected to the tail of the GGG. Black substances also filled up the places where mechanisms were gone. "Kill them!" Coctelera ordered.

The Crimson Giga Gillian (CGG) and Silver Giga Gillian (SGG) roared and charged at Hono, leaving Coctelera and GGG to handle Kenpachi. SGG crawled, at breakneck speeds, over to the fiery Soul Reaper and slashed its claw at him. Hono raised Amaterasu and blocked it, the impact producing sparks. Then out of nowhere, SGG shifted its body and delivered a swift trip-kick at Hono's leg. Unable to comprehend the quick movements, Hono was hit, swept off his feet, and fell back-first to the sand. Because his vision was unintentionally locked onto the air, he was able to see CGG hovering above him. It charged up a Flamear Cero (Spanish for "Flaming Zero") and discharged it. "Shit!" Hono exclaimed as he Flash Stepped to avoid the blast.

Kenpachi wildly swung his nameless zanpakuto at GGG. Unfortunately, the gold-masked Hollow was much too fluid in its movements; it dodged each and every swing in many unimaginable ways. Coctelera grunted as he propelled a punch at the 11th Division Captain. The latter merely blocked it with his sword, but the impact made it appear as if Coctelera could have bended the sword. The GGG opened its mouth and fired a Trueno Cero ("Thunder Zero") at the preoccupied Kenpachi. "Oh come now!" Kenpachi mocked as he pushed away Coctelera and sidestepped the electrical blast of Spiritual Energy.

SGG jumped and stomped its feet, attempting to hit Hono. The rookie simply dodged the maneuver but the force from SGG kicked up dust and destroyed rock. _"A speedster and a flier. Just my luck…" _Hono thought. CGG swooped downward and fired multiple, smaller Trueno Ceros. Hono swung Amaterasu and easily shredded them to oblivion. Then, SGG opened it mouth and fired a Hierro Cero (Spanish for "Iron Zero") while CGG tried another Trueno Cero. Once again, Hono Flash Stepped to dodge. Both variations of Ceros collided as a result and caused a huge burst of sand. _"Good Lord, I ain't used to fighting against quick opponents…" _Hono contemplated.

Coctelera avoided yet another sword swing and slithered underground. When that happened, GGG fired yet another Trueno Cero. "Slippery sons of bitches, ain't you?" Kenpachi commented sneeringly. Swinging his nameless zanpakuto, Kenpachi shredded the electrical Cero to pieces with his unnaturally high reiatsu. Coctelera then uprooted himself appearing behind the thuggish Shinigami, "Don't you compare us so lowly, Shinigami!" He hissed as he fired a blazing red Cero from his third eye. Now this action caught Kenpachi off-guard and, thus, was blasted with the Cero.

The captain skidded backwards from the force, some of his wounds reopening and bleeding slightly. Hono was struck with a tremendous knee attack from SGG and then was blasted with CGG's Flamear Cero. He wound up beside his captain. "Tired yet, rookie?" Kenpachi questioned breathlessly. Hono painstakingly rose back to his feet and replied, "Not in the least. Let's switch our opponents and keep fighting." "You read my mind."

With that, the fearsome duo lunged at the Hollows once more.

-------------------

Tsu Lung froze in her spot upon hearing the swear. Subsequently, a laceration appeared on her back. The dark-haired Shinigami screamed in pain as her blood splashed onto the title. "Xioyuna-san!" Both 3rd Seated Members screamed in alarm.

Abismo stood above her, his own blooding masking his face. "Listen, bitch, neither you nor that captain can kill me! I'm better than both of you, damn it!" He screamed hysterically. Bypassing her agony and frailness, Tsu Lung stood up and swung Mikoto. The spiderlike Combinado Hollow simply raised his front left leg and blocked it. "Pitiful!" Abismo commented rashly as he raised his front right leg. Startled, Tsu Lung Flash Stepped to avoid the stab.

Tsu Lung reappeared in the air above Abismo as he recited, "Hado #58: Tenran!" From Tsu Lung's hands, a tornado-like blast was fired at the spiderlike Hollow. "Bitch please!" Abismo reprimanded as he fired four Balas, one for each of his eyes, at the Hado spell. The Bala attacks managed to nullify the Kido spell. The female graduate's briste eyes widened in shock, _"Even when suffering through his wounds, he can still fight like this.." _

"Yeah, I know, I'm strong." Abismo's boastful and arrogant voice said from behind her, as if he was reading her mind. Immediately, Tsu Lung turned and blocked his slashes with her Shikai. Abismo smirked and shot out his scorpion-like tail at Tsu Lung, curving it so that it struck from underneath him. The female Soul Reaper was stabbed in her pelvic area (it only punctured at least an inch or two of his skin). "Bye-bye!" Abismo stated as he tossed Tsu Lung aside. Because they were still in the air, Tsu Lung, consequently, descended to the tile. But she quickly recovered her equanimity and landed feet-first on the tile.

She then gripped Mikoto's hilt and swung, releasing multiple streams of sparkling Alice-blue moonbeams at Abismo. "Is this the extent of your abilities?!" Abismo reproved as he fired an ebony Cero to counter the moonbeams, "If that's the case, I'll lay waste to your ass in seconds!"

"Carriage of Thunder. Bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six!" Suddenly, six thin yet wide beams of light slammed into Abismo's midsection and forcibly descended him to the ground. "Bakudo #61: Rikujōkōrō…" Tsu Lung recited. "Oh fuck you!" Abismo affronted. Tsu Lung's knees wobbled as she collapsed onto them. Her injuries were getting to her already. "What's the matter?! Cat got your tongue?!"Abismo interrogated heatedly.

"Ye lord…Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man…" She mumbled incoherently. "Huh? Speak up goddamnit!" Abismo demanded. Tsu Lung spoke up more authoritatively, "On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens!"

Abismo's eyes widened as blue energy gathered in Tsu Lung's hands, "Hado #63: Sōren Sōkatsui!" Two blasts of blue, potent energy where discharged from her hands and toward Abismo. "That all?!" Abismo yelped objectively. He then opened his mouth and fired his black Cero. This prompted Tsu Lung to raise her Shikai and expelled moonlight from it to Sōren Sōkatsui. As a result, both blasts went a blue color to an Alice-blue sheen. When this modified Kido spell collided with Abismo's Cero, the latter was utterly overpowered and bypassed.

"OH SHIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" Abismo screamed in fear as the very potent Hado spell approached him, and he could do nothing to save himself because of the Bakudo spell….

* * *

Aizonde rested his blade on his shoulder and sauntered away as the waves dispelled. "Captain Kyōraku, Lieutenant Ise, let's go. I've finished her off." He commanded as he casually walked from the battle scene. Nanao blinked dubiously and nodded, "R-right…" Shunsui groaned, "Man, what a day…" He was then helped up by his lieutenant as he continued saying, "Can't wait to get home and relax…"

Unexpectedly, a wave of Spiritual Pressure appeared in the room. "Aizonde! Watch out!" Both members of the 8th Division alerted hastily. The dual blue-haired Soul Reaper looked over his shoulder in time to see a turquoise Cero come at him. "I should've known…" He groused as he swung Ryujin. Like previous times, the wave the sword produced was strong enough to annul the opposing attack.

Casco, on the other side of the room, made the broken crystalline rosebush around her fall apart. Even with that protection, she gained a new arm and shoulder injury in addition to the wounds from Shunsui. "I see…" Aizonde said calculatingly, "Immediately after your blades snapped, you created that rosebush in hopes of cushioning my blow. Yet, I still managed to puncture it and hit you, but the damage was weakened…"

Casco growled and snapped, "You're starting to agitate me! You're too serious and high-strung!" Aizonde fake-pondered, even placing a finger on his chin, "Me serious and high-strung? Never gotten that compliment before…" The crystal Combinado Hollow growled even louder this time, "And your attitude is another reason!" Aizonde stuffed his free hand and into his pocket and responded, "What attitude? I always act like this…"

She then pointed an accusing finger at her opponent and stated, "And worst of all…is that your impassive look on your face!" Indeed, most of the times, even in battle, Aizonde would keep an impassive or incomprehensible countenance. His friends even debated on why he does it; Raidon said it was purely to look serious and composed, Yukimano said it made him look arrogant and unnecessarily sarcastic. Aizonde placed a hand on his draping two-colored hair and replied, "What impassive look?"

Casco felt multiple veins in her forehead burst from rage, "You piss me off! I bet you do the same to all your other friends too!" With a slight chuckle, the Ryujin-bearer responded, "Well, actually-"

"Oh shut up!" Casco demanded as she launched glass spires at Aizonde. The male huffed exasperatedly and shook his head, "Jeez. Talk about touchy." Calmly, he eyed the glass spikes and extended his hand. Mumbling an inaudible incantation, he then recited aloud, "Bakudo #39: Enkosen…" A large circular yellow shield of condense reiatsu appeared in front of Aizonde. _"Her reflective capabilities apply only to Hado spells, she can't do anything about Bakudo spells."_ He thought confidently.

The complete contrary occurred. The glass spires easily pierced through the Bakudo shield. "What the?!" Aizonde exclaimed in shock. He was then stabbed in scattered section of his body by the spires. "Got you!" Casco exclaimed jovially. Aizonde groaned in pain as he said, "So...when you meant you were immune to Kido, you meant it…"

Casco cracked a grin, "Duh! All forms will be broken, absorbed, or reflected because of my abilities! Now I have you where I want you!!" Tapping the floor, sharp shards became to uproot and trail toward Aizonde. The male Shinigami gripped Ryujin's hilt more tightly as spiraling water materialized around the blade. Before the shards actually hit him, he propelled the water in the same fashion as an explosion.

"Oh?" Casco mused in interest. Aizonde reappeared some meters behind Casco panting slightly. The crystal Combinado Hollow turned around and gawked at the Shinigami, "I see that causing a watery explosion differs greatly from swinging waves at me." Aizonde remained wordless and simply continued panting and listening to his opponent. Casco stated, "So, I wonder…does the amount of Spiritual Pressure you insert into your Kido-type blade affect your sword?"

Aizonde held up his Shikai and responded, "Correct. Not only is my sword a water Kido-type, to increase the potency of my waves I must input Spiritual Pressure. Though, my waves have a set strength, the only occasions where I added strength to my waves was previously and when I punctured your bush unintentionally."

Casco exultantly laughed and announced, "I'm enjoying this game of Stay Alive, and I like having to think while I play!" In the midst of Casco's averment, Aizonde swung Ryujin and discharged another wave. Posthaste, Casco summoned pillars from underground to block the wave. The Combinado Hollow, on the summit of one of the pillars, playfully asked, "Were you holding back or was that your set strength? Beforehand, you were able to destroy my shards no sweat…" Aizonde calmly replied, "In case you haven't noticed, all of my waves so far were summoned as I swung in close-range proximity. That was my first time using a long-range method."

"Even so, you're Spiritual Pressure is beginning to dwindle…" Casco observed sneeringly, "And like you just told me, you're gonna need Spiritual Pressure to increase your waves' power." The dual blue-haired male smirked, "But I don't need Spiritual Pressure to do this!" Aizonde swung his Shikai twice in a row and generated two more waves at Casco and her shards. Then, when the waves contacted against her pillars, he swung again in a diagonal motion.

Interestingly, the waves were suddenly cut in the same direction at the same time in conjunction to Aizonde's swing. "What the-?!" Casco shouted as her pillars were destroyed. She fell to the title as a result of the sudden destruction. "This is where my Kido-type comes in…" Aizonde expounded as he watched Casco struggle to get back up, "Water is made of two key components, oxygen and hydrogen. The water from Ryujin is special. In addition to the fact that only she and I can manipulate this type of water, the H20 molecules possess Spiritual Particles. Because of the fact that these Spiritual Particles are at a microscopic level, there isn't much your reflective capabilities can do. After all, a mirror needs to see what it reflects."

Casco clicked her tongue and retorted, "How aggravating…" Quickly, she placed her hands on her face and snapped her neck. Like last time, her body shattered into many pieces. "Oh great…" Aizonde groused as towering mirror surrounded him.

--------------

Ichigo and Raidon continued to jog across the sand restlessly. Their efforts were paying off thankfully, they were getting closer to Hutike, the source of the strong presence of reiatsu. Ultimately, they found him. Oddly however, the Arrancar was standing still as if he was patiently waiting for them. "All right, Hutike, no more running away!" Ichigo demanded as he held Zangetsu in front of him. "I wasn't running away…I was leading you to our battlegrounds." Hutike corrected impassively.

"Hm. Well it didn't matter if we fought you at the tower or at here, you're going down." Raidon determinedly proclaimed. An ominous gust swayed through the battleground, lifting up stray grains of sand and carrying loose articles of clothing. Hutike's white jacket was one of these loose articles; when such happened, it revealed a sheathed zanpakuto on the left hip of his sash.

Hutike reached toward his zanpakuto and inserted two fingers into two slots on the side of the crossguard. Like the removal of a card from a deck, the former Espada slowly slipped his blade out of the sheath. As the black stainless steel blade of his katana was slowly being revealed to the Soul Reaper, dense waves of invisible reiatsu irritated the nerves of Ichigo and Raidon. _"He's only unsheathing his zanpakuto…" _Ichigo said mentally as he gritted his teeth. _"…And I can already sense his amount of Spiritual Pressure." _Raidon thought as beads of sweat traveled down the side of his face.

When the sword as fully unveiled, he swiftly removed his fingers from the slots. As a result of that, his zanpakuto floated and rotated in the air dramatically. He then grabbed the dark grey and burgundy hilt (that also had a double helix figure imprinted on it) of his zanpakuto. After he did so, ceil-colored Spiritual Pressure practically exploded out of his zanpakuto. The reiatsu was so immense that the shockwave it emitted knocked Ichigo and Raidon off their feet.

The two Soul Reapers immediately got up and shielded their faces from the unnaturally dense Spiritual Pressure. "Just what the hell kind of Arrancar are you?!" Ichigo roared in question. As ceil reiatsu continued to flow out of his zanpakuto, Hutike responded, "An Arrancar I may be, but classifying me as such in a general sense is improper." With his free hand, Hutike grasped his right-arm sleeve and pulled it down. "I am the former Noveno Espada…However, I fail to believe my power is the same as then."

"Oh shit…" Ichigo and Raidon mumbled in unison. Finally, Hutike's Spiritual Pressure died down to a reasonable standard. "Now then…prepare yourselves." Hutike cautioned as he performed Sonido. He reappeared in the air and dived down preparing to swing powerfully. Raidon and Ichigo jumped to the side to dodge. Consequently, Hutike's zanpakuto slammed onto the ground and, in a blast of ceil Spiritual Pressure, formed a fissure in the ground.

"Good Lord…" Raidon gaped in surprise. This was the first time he had ever seen such power in close proximity. The Arrancar then directed his attention to Ichigo and charged at him. Alerted, the Substitute Shinigami gripped his zanpakuto tautly and shouted, "Getsuga Tenshō!" Swinging his eternal Shikai, he released a light blue crescent-shaped blast at Hutike. The Arrancar swung his zanpakuto directly at the Getsuga Tenshō. Upon collision, Hutike's sword released more ceil-colored Spiritual Pressure. _"Wha-what?!" _Ichigo mentally screamed in shock, _"He's matching my Getsuga Tenshō with just his sword?!" _

There was one thing incorrect about Ichigo's though, there was no longer any matching involved. Hutike evaporated the Getsuga Tenshō after he finally managed to cut through it. Afterwards, Hutike extended his free hand toward Ichigo and proceeded to charge up a ceil-colored Cero.

"Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle!" Someone chanted from behind the fighting Ichigo and Hutike. Raidon was responsible for this; he was charging up a great amount of golden Spiritual Pressure in his hands. Unfortunately for Hutike, he had discharged his Cero a second after Raidon finished his incantation. _"Perfect!" _Ichigio thought with a smirk, _"Guy can't move while he's firing a Cero, I'll dodge it and Raidon can nail him!" _

"Hadō #63: Raikōhō!" The amassment of energy was discharged from Raidon's hands in the form of great lightning bolts. Sticking to his strategy, Ichigo Flash Stepped away to avoid the Cero.

Slowly yet impassively, Hutike looked over his shoulder and his eyes met the face of Raikōhō.

* * *

The combination of wind and Kido impacted against the pinned Immune. The resulting explosion created a light lavender mushroom-shaped cloud with purple firework-like sparks pouring out.

"Hm. At least this battle is over." Soi Fon declared as she turned around and walked away, "Come, Yukimano." The dark emerald-haired female nodded and responded, "Yes, ma'am."

Before she turned foot as well, Yukimano noticed some strange activity in the residual smoke. "Hm?" Suddenly, streams of scattered vine-like Ceros shot out from the cloud. None of them were actually aimed at her, but Soi Fon. "Captain!" Yukimano shrieked as she Flash Stepped behind Soi Fon and used her own body to intercept one of the modified Ceros.

"Yukimano!" Soi Fon screamed and then chanted, "Bakudo #73: Tozanshō!" Suddenly, an inverted, glassy pyramid surrounded the two, blocking off the chain of explosions from the other modified Ceros. The 2nd Division Captain shook the rookie, pleading, "Yukimano! Yukimano! Wake up!" The female graduate's eyes were glassy as bleed leaked from the wound, marked by a huge Suzumebachi stamp, on her back. "Just my luck…" Soi Fon groaned as she looked up and peered into the smoke.

* * *

The Shikai-empowered Hado spell exploded against its target, destroying more of the tunnel and producing more smoke. Abismo, glassy-eyed and bleeding, fell over from the pain.

Tsu Lung exhaled a great sigh of relief."Xioyuna-san!" Kiyone called as she and Sentaro approached her. "Good job!" The male 3rd Seat complimented. Tsu Lung smiled warmly and thanked, "Arigoto." Kiyone looked over at the fallen Combinado Hollow and stated, "That last attack you used was amazing…"

The multiracial Soul Reaper responded, "Thanks again. I thought a Sōren Sōkatsui would be enough, but when I saw from use a Cero, I had to use Mikoto's ability to manipulate moonlight to strengthen it." The dark-haired male looked at Tsu Lung's Shikai and said, "So that's' your Shikai's ability?" The graduate answered, "Yes it is. Well, partly. Mikoto's ability allows it to create moonlight even in the broadness of day. Then, using my Spiritual Pressure, I can manipulate it to my will."

Ukitake, sitting against where his 3rd Seated Members were, smiled warmheartedly as he watched them converse with Tsu Lung. _"So much evolution in so little time…you amaze me, Tsu Lung." _He mentally said. All of a sudden, some odd, maligant Spirtual Pressure descended inside the tunnel. "Kiyone, Sentaro, Tsu Lung!" Ukitake called out panickily. Before Ukitake's subordinates could even move, Sentaro and Kiyone were suddenly knocked into their white-haired leader.

Alarmed and wide-eyed, Tsu Lung screamed, "Kiyone, Sentaro, Captain Ukitake!" Before she could tend to her fallen comrades, Tsu Lung was suddenly stabbed with much brutual force. Pain quickly surged through her, but time seemed to slow down in order to make her suffer. "Xioyuna-san/Tsu Lung!" All three of members of the 13th Division exclaimed in shock.

* * *

Clouds of brown and black dust filled the area. Remants of electricity crackled through these coulds as unsettling wind swept carried them into the unknown.

"Nice shot, Raidon." Ichigo remarked as he stood beside the electric blonde. "Thanks, Ichigo. Wouldn't have worked if it wasn't for you." Raidon stated. "Heh. I didn't even have to use my Bankai." Ichigo cockily announced. "Same, only with my Shikai." Raidon responded with a cocky grin.

Finally, the dust started to subside considerably. But, when it did, it left Raidon and Ichigo completely perplexed, "H-How..did you..?" When everything was clear again, it revealed an unharmed Hutike and two Garganta portals, one in front of him and one behind him. "You're obviously confused." Hutike spoke, "Allow me to explain. Garganta is an ability exclusive to Hollows that only them to travel between dimensions. I have revolutionized such measures; I can manipulate my Garganta so that it can transfer my attacks in two different places."

"Two different places?" Ichigo repeated warily. With one hand each, Hutike pointed to both of his Garganta portals. "My Cero was initially aimed at him [Ichigo]. But when you [Raidon] fired that attack at me, I used my Garganta Manipulation to redirect my Cero." With such being said, the Garganta behind him closed up completely. "So he can attack us from just about any angle…?" Raidon observed.

"That is correct." Hutike confirmed, holding up his zanpakuto. "Like so." He then jabbed the black stainless steel sword into the Garganta portal in front of him. Instantaneously, another Garganta portal materialized behind Raidon and the katana stabbed straight into his back and through his chest. As the electric blonde's crimson widened, a good amount of his blood spilled from the wound. "RAIDON!" Ichigo screamed out.

When Raidon, Tsu Lung, and Yukimano were struck with those fatal blows, Aizonde and Hono felt coldness practically freeze their spines.


	10. Of Bonds & Promises

**Disclaimer: **Bleach is copyrighted by Tite Kubo (characters, series, and concepts). The only elements that shall be exclusive to me will be my OCs and their respective original content.

**Of Bonds & Promises**

_Before she turned foot as well, Yukimano noticed some strange activity in the residual smoke. "Hm?" Suddenly, streams of scattered vine-like Ceros shot out from the cloud. None of them were actually aimed at her, but Soi Fon. "Captain!" Yukimano shrieked as she Flash Stepped behind Soi Fon and used her own body to intercept one of the modified Ceros. _

_Alarmed and wide-eyed, Tsu Lung screamed, "Kiyone, Sentaro, Captain Ukitake!" Before she could tend to her fallen comrades, Tsu Lung was suddenly stabbed with much brutual force. Pain quickly surged through her, but time seemed to slow down in order to make her suffer. "Xioyuna-san/Tsu Lung!" All three of members of the 13th Division exclaimed in shock. _

_"That is correct." Hutike confirmed, holding up his zanpakuto. "Like so." He then jabbed the black stainless steel sword into the Garganta portal in front of him. Instantaneously, another Garganta portal materialized behind Raidon and the katana stabbed straight into his back and through his chest. As the electric blonde's crimson widened, a good amount of his blood spilled from the wound. "RAIDON!" Ichigo screamed out._

_When Raidon, Tsu Lung, and Yukimano were struck with those fatal blows, Aizonde and Hono felt coldness practically freeze their spines…_

_"Raidon…Yukimano…and Tsu Lung too?!" _Aizonde and Hono thought in distress.

"Aizonde, watch out!" Nanao's voice yelled out. The waterbending Shinigami snapped back into reality upon the lieutenant's cries. A rainstorm of glass needles was heading his way. "Shit." He cursed inwardly as he swung Ryujin. The resulting wave fabricated another wave that destroyed most of the needles and faltered the rest. Aizonde simply used Flash Step to avoid those remaining. "What happened?" Casco asked from afar, "You lost concentration for a bit." Aizonde's powder blue eyes glared at his opponent as he retorted, "None of your business."

"Don't lose your focus, Shinigami!" Coctelera roared as he emerged from the sand in front Hono and slammed down both of his arms. Hono snapped back into reality, but not fast enough to dodge the attack. So, Kenpachi took the liberty of blocking it for him. "Damn it, rookie, this ain't the place to space out!" "R-right…" Hono sputtered out. Both Coctelera and GGG charged up their respective kinds of Cero. Alarmed, Hono grabbed his captain and used Flash Step to avoid the close-range shots.

_"It can't be…" _Aizonde said mentally as he clashed weapons with Casco, _"They can't be dying! They just can't be!" _Hono, after regaining his composure, charged at CGG and SGG and attacked, thinking the same sort of thoughts, _"We promised...that we would leave this place together!" _ As the two male Soul Reapers continued to fight their opponent, they mentally yelled in unison, _"STAY ALIVE! I CAN'T BEAR THE THOUGHT OF LOSING YOU GUYS!" _

* * *

(A/N: More sudden transitions, just be aware.)

In the midst of their varied conditions, their subconscious forcibly drifted to their inner worlds. How and why were perhaps unanswered questions. Yet, they were curious, so they wandered about their inner worlds for suitable answers.

Raidon found himself on the same street where he first met his deceased "Hollow" persona. "Man, my inner world goes on forever." He said inwardly. Even as quiet as he was, his voice slightly echoed across the abandoned street. "Well, you're search ends." A more dignified, masculine voice stated. Cautiously, the electric blonde turned to the origin of the mysterious voice. Whoever the person was, the character was inside an alleyway….a rather familiar alleyway. "Who's there?" Raidon interrogated, eyeing the figure covered by shadows. The person, obediently, stepped out.

The character had a cape that resembles tucked-in wings. The "wings" are actually stone with patterns to resemble wings. Olympian style clouds adorn the top of the cape and parallel lines come down from the clouds straight to the hem of the cape. His whole body and clothes have a rich, golden hue. Around his neck is a gold metallic plate that resembles the headset of an Egyptian pharaoh (but fashioned as a necklace). His shirt is long-sleeved and sheet-like; his pants are a toga-like shirttail (touching the ground) tied to his waist by a golden rope. The blonde graduate's crimson eyes widened, "R-Raijin?!"

Aizonde's search led him to his favorite lake. To reminisce the good times, he continuously walked laps around its perimeter whilst looking at his reflection in the perfect blue water. "Heh. I remember this place completely," He said, "Still, that doesn't explain how I got here…" "Want me to explain, Aizonde?" A soft, feminine voice proposed. The male Soul Reaper immediately diverted his field of vision to the female on the sandy "dock" of his lake.

Her body, clothes, and accessory were covered in a blue hue (similar to Raijin). Her hair flows downward like a waterfall and small droplets of water are even excreted from the ends. She possesses a metallic hairband (the only thing of a different color; grey-silver). She has a silk tube top and an elbow-length mantle. She also possesses a knee-length skirt with short shorts underneath it. Lastly, she has metallic boots. Her symbol is on the emblem of her necklace. Aizode's powder blue eyes shimmered in disbelief, "Ryujin? What are you doing here?"

Yukimano let the eternal breeze sweep up her long hair and loose Shinigami outfit. She had the perfect view of the starlit night and breathtaking moon. When she woke up in her inner world, she decided to get to the summit of the tallest tree to in order to investigate anything in peculiar. "Huh. Nothing. Guess I could just stand here and keep looking…" She stated. "Enjoying yourself?" A stern yet collected male voice asked. Yukimano gazed in incredulity as a figure landed on a tree of an equal height in front of her.

The man had pale silver skin and a large, obese bag attached to his back. A handkerchief adorns his neck but is turned so that the majority covers his left shoulder. A metallic shoulder pad covers his right shoulder and a long tarp connected to it hides the majority of his right arm. He has no shirt and only wears a long tarp around his waist that reaches his bare feet. Although his off-white hair is short, it flows in the wind that is eternally produced by him. Lastly, he wears fingerless off-white gloves that bear his symbol on their straps. "Fujin?! You summoned me?!" Yukimano questioned in shock.

Tsu Lung, with a heavy sigh, sat herself at the base of a woodland tree. "I'm getting nowhere…" She groused with closed eyes. "God, you give up too easily." A rough-sounding, grumbly voice complained. Before she could check her soundings, an empty banana peel fell on her ebony hair. "Eh?" She squeaked inquisitively. She removing the yellow fruity exterior from her locks and looked up. She gasped in surprised when she did.

On a branch sat a male. His body and clothing are enveloped in a celestial Alice-blue color. His elegant and expensive robe is actually the fur of werewolves. This is made obvious by the fact that his headwear is the head of a wolf with his face shown in the open mouth (two long incisors/fangs are chin-length). Near the hems of the robe are black markings that resemble claw marks. His furry and black pants are smoother and groomed. His boots (only the base of the boots is shown) have designs to make it seem like wolf's feet are embedded on it. "M-Mikoto?! Why are you here?!"

Hono aimlessly sauntered on a trail, each side accompanied by forests of thin leafless trees. The trail he was traversing on seemed to drag on infinitely, and it didn't seem he was making progress either. He had long abandoned his search. "This is BS…" The rust-headed graduate grumbled. "Everything is to you, knucklehead." A feminine voice, almost similar to Ryujin's, reprimanded.

Leaning against the tree nearest Hono was a woman. She had long, elegant hair that is actually alit fire. and her skin is Caucasian-colored. She possesses a belly shirt with sleeves that are as long as a kimono's. The aforementioned article of clothing is red with orange flame patterns. Connected to her waist is a long evening gown-like skirt made of flames. Her symbol is on her hair, reminiscent of a hairclip. "Amaterasu? What the hell are you doing here?"

Raijin stood in front of her owner and said, "That is correct." Raidon swallowed the lump in his throat. Sure he had spoken to Raijin before, all Soul Reapers are required to speak to their Zanpakuto Spirits. But the current occasion he was summoned out of made this particular conversation somewhat nerve-racking. "Now, I'm not going to mince words. I shall get straight down to business, Raidon." Raijin said bluntly.

"What are you talking about?" Aizonde asked his Zanpakuto Spirit, confused. Ryujin turned to face the beautiful body of water and sat down on the sand. "Come. Sit and I will tell you." Unquestioningly, Aizonde walked over to the "dock", stood right beside his Zanpakuto Spirit, and sat down. "The reason why I summoned you here is you were feeling your friends in distress." Ryujin said, hugging her knees to her chest.

"I see." Yukimano replied staring at her windy Zanpakuto Spirit, "Though I kind of figured that considering I took a fatal blow for my Captain." Fujin responded, "Hn. However, that was a highly admirable action you took, no one can criticized you for that." The dark emerald-haired looked at the starry and windy night before asking, "So you called me and because my friends and I were in distress. What are you going to do about it?"

"Thought you'd never ask…" Mikoto said as he jumped down from the branch. Like a cat, he landed perfectly on his feet. "Though, I ain't too sure I should offer this to you." He added grimly. "Why?" Tsu Lung timidly inquired. "Well, all five of your friends have their quirks. I mean Raidon _was_ an airhead, don't know if he still is. Hono is a wild dumbass. Aizonde is an arrogant, quote-on-quote, "cool guy", so vain. Yukimano is waaaay to serious, not to mention I think she's still hotheaded. Then there's you. Tsu Lung, you nearly went unconscious over a stab most Soul Reapers endured numerous amounts of. You're too soft and kind-hearted. " Mikoto retorted in explanation, crossing his arms and walking in circles around the tree. "H-How could you say that?!" Tsu Lung exclaimed, both surprised and disappointed at her Zanpakuto Spirit's opinion of her and her friends. "Simple. I just did." Mikoto rejoined in a smart-alecky tone.

"Frickin' smartass." Hono snarled at his fiery Zanpakuto Spirit. Giggling, Amaterasu removed herself from the tree. As a result of her abilities, the tree disintegrated into a small puddle of lava. She then walked over to her owner, saying, "I'm only cautious because, as a Zanpakuto Deity, not only is it my duty to fight side-by-side with you, but to make sure my partner is the _right_ one." Hono's glare lightened up somewhat, "Well, then what _is _the right one?"

"The right one, in all Zanpakuto Deity's perspective," Raijin answered with closed eyes, "is someone who belives in bonds and the benign."

Ryujin rocked slightly back-and-forth in her fetal position as she continued, "And I know how you and your other friends are deeply connected to each other, but hear me out."

Fujin held up his palm letting controlled wind appear in it. Looking at the lunar object Yukimano was looking at, he explained, "Zanpakuto Deities' powers are nothing more than the same as regular Zanpakuto Spirits, we're just a special classification because we are fragments of Human World gods. Some regular Zanpakuto Spirits are naturally stronger, smarter, and more beautiful than Zanpakuto Deities, some are not."

Mikoto stopped his circling around the tree and squatted in front of his owner to be eye-level with her. "Even with all that bullcrap, the owners of us Zanpakuto Deities, as well as ourselves, are highly responsible. If our owners died, so would the fragments that create us. And if we did, then our actual selves would have failed their purpose. That ain't fair, isn't it?"

"Hell no it's not." Hono responded as he walked with Amaterasu down the path. "I thought not." Amaterasu said with a chuckle. A laconism befell between the two creatures as they continued to travel the trail. After a couple of seconds of walking (and meditating in Hono's case), a yellow-orange light peeked over the horizon. "Hey, is that the sun…?" Hono inquired while he ceasing walking. Amaterasu stopped walking as well, but she knew what the sudden arrival of her element symbolized. "Hono, if you truly think you are ready for my true power, allow me another question."

Raidon continued to walk down the street, unfazed by the roars of thunder and flashes of lightning above-head. "What would that be, Raijin?" He asked. Following behind his owner, the golden Zanpakuto Deity asked, "Which do you want to use my powers for? To win or to fight?" Upon utterance of that, Raidon stopped dead in his tracks.

"Now before you even answer that," Ryujin cautioned as she placed a hushing blue finger on her bearer's lips, "Think. There is a veritable difference between the two." She then removed her finger from his lips. Aizonde remained silent and obviously in thought. "Let me give an explanation as an incentive for your choice." Ryujin announced.

"Winning is claiming victory over someone. It is a highly sought-after achievement in which one is able to move up in their life. Triumph is automatic, unlike fighting." Fujin explained as he jumped from treetop to treetop with his owner. To add ambience, he deliberately increased the wind velocity in the environment. Yukimano stayed quiet in order to let this elucidation sink into her mind.

Mikoto sat beside Tsu Lung as let the sparkling Alice-blue moon descended further to them. The multiracial Shinigami was left breathless at the lunar ministrations her Zanpakuto Spirit could perform. "Now, fighting, like I said, is a different story. Fighting is to participate in violence or opposition. That's not necassrily bad now, don't get me wrong. Sometimes fighting is just struggling determinedly, to keep pushing on to reach your goal. Fighting, essentially, offers you a bit more freedom than just winning."

"Let those differences sink into your mind." Amaterasu advised. "Then make your choice. No matter what is it, I will support you. Just don't abuse my powers or I will kick your ass." She said with a grin. Hono grinned back and responded, "I'll keep that in mind."

All members of the Rookie 5 halted their current physical action (if they hadn't already) to contemplate on their choices. Their respective Zanpakuto Deity was offering him or her power, but a choice that would set the basis for that power. Even so, the Zanpakuto Spirits said they were support their decision. That meant this decision was purely up to how the Rookie 5 felt; their verdict had to be entirely derived from their judgement, motives, and morals. And, surprisingly, their answer came quick.

"Neither!"

All of the Zanpakuto Deities turned to their respective bearer in shock (rather, in Fujin's case, merely raised a curious eyebrow).

"I don't have to intentions to either fight _or _win!" Raidon said as he sharply turned to his Zanpakuto Spirit. Aizonde stated, "What I want to do with your power is to help my friends!" Yukimano pointed a finger at her Zanpakuto Spirit and added, "Before we came here to Hueco Mundo, we made a promise!" Tsu Lung sharply stood up from the ground and eyed her feral Zanpakuto Spirit, "A promise to not die and go back to the Soul Society together!" Hono crossed his arms and finished, "And _that's _what I want to use your power for! To maintain that promise and protect my friends!"

All of the Zanpakuto Deities only stared surprised. Now, it was their turn to fathom the circumstances. Their original given choices were both denied in exchange for something that made more sense. "Heh. Admirable choice." The five Zanpakuto Spirits commented.

Raijin stood directly in front of Raidon as a huge lightning began to descend to them. Ryujin placed her hand against the surface of the lake and all of the water formed a tsunami that began to descend at them. Fujin increased the wind velocity even more so that a wind funnel surrounded him and Yukimano. Mikoto stood as up the moon and its light began to approach their bodies. Amaterasu grabbed Hono and began to direct him into the sunset. As these actions were going, the Zanpakuto Deities said, "With my power, perform your objective…"

The Rookie 5 exited their subconsciousness with a newfound bravado ready to be unleashed in the heat of their battles.

* * *

Soi Fon carried the limp Yukimano around as she evaded attacks from Immune. _"If I just let Yukimano down, this Hollow will kill her when she gets the chance…" _Soi Fon thought. The butterfly-like Combinado Hollow fired her standard emerald green Cero at the 2nd Division Captain. She merely back-flipped to dodge the attack. However, Immune appeared behind her the moment she landed on her feet via Sonido. "YOU'RE MINE!" She shrieked and thrusted her arm at the petite female. Soi Fon looked over her shoulder in horror. However, she also felt something gripped her battle outfit. Before she could fathom the cause, she was instantly transported via Flash Step away from Immune.

"Yukimano?!" Soi Fon exclaimed as the women in question squirmed out of her captain's arm and stood on her feet again. "I'm fine, Captain…" The dark emerald-haired Soul Reaper reassured as she walked in front of her. "Want more punshiment, huh?" Immune asked with a smirk. "Quit the contrary.." Yukimano answered as silver Spiritual Pressure appeared around her. She then held up her Shikai as her silver eyes glowed with resolve, "It's high-time we finish this once and for all…"

CGG and SGG cornered a still Hono and discharged their respective kinds of Cero. "Hobo-kun!" Yachiru screamed, noticing that the Amaterasu-user was not making any efforts to evade. "Oh shit!" Kenpachi exclaimed as he redirected his attention toward Hono and ran over. "Don't you DARE turn your back on me!" Coctelera roared as he and his conjoined GGG submerged themselves into the seas of sand.

Both blasts of Cero connected against Hono producing many amounts of smoke. Kenpachi stopped in front of his cloud in shock, "ROOKIE! ANSWER ME!" Zaraki definitely got his answer; both CGG and SGG were knocked out of the smoke with great force. Then, massive amounts of orange Spiritual Pressure blew away the smoke. Kenpachi grinned when he realized the moment at hand. "How's it feel, rookie?" Hono, whose orange reiatsu flared wildly around him, grinned at his captain and reacted, "Feel's good." Holding up his Shikai in a cross formation and orange resolve glowing in his eyes, he said, "Now move out of the way before you get cooked."

Tsu Lung, her briste eyes shadowed and still hanging from Absimo's leg, allowed two prominent streams of tears to fall. "Awww. Is the little baby crying?" Abismo mocked in a babyish tone. Tsu Lung, actually the opposite of sad, smiled and replied, "Because I'm scared of you? Absolutely not…" The multiracial female gripped her Shikai as she continues stating, "These are tears of joy…because I know I'm going to win this battle." When she said, Tsu Lung smiled and glowing Alice-blue resolve shone in her eyes. All four of Abismo's eyes widened in outrage, "Y-you..fucking wench!" With a grunt, Tsu Lung swung her Shikai upward and severed Abismo's leg from his body. Screaming in pain, Abismo backed up, "AHH Damn it! Fucking bitch! AHHHH!" Tsu Lung pulled the dead appendage out of her body and tossed it aside. As she did so, Alice-blue Spiritual Pressure surrounded her body. "You're going down…for good!"

"The final blow!" Casco shouted as she lashed out her crystalline whips with sharp jagged edges at Aizonde. The Ryujin-user clutched the hilt of his hydrokinetic zanpakuto. His glaring powder blue eyes suddenly alit with blue resolve. "I think not." Aizonde reassured as blue Spiritual Pressure graced his bodily outline. Right before the whips made contact, water bursted out of Aizonde's position. "What?!" Casco exclaimed in shock. A water lotus surrounded Aizonde as it shattered the whips easily. "_My _next move will be the final blow…"

"GETSUGA TENSHŌ!!!" The Substitute Shingami roared mightily as he swung his zanpakuto. It released a massive wave of sable energy outlined by crimson. The calculating Arrancar simply "hmph"-ed and jumped backwards into a Garganta portal. The moment it completely sealed up was when Ichgo's Getsuga Tenshō connected upon the ground. A mammoth crown of black and red decimated the targeted area. Ichigo, Bankai-activated, panted heavily at the release of so much power. Ultimately, the crown disappeared into oblivion; when it did, another Garganta opened up and Hutike stepped out. "Not even close." The former Espada stated. "Tch! Damn you!" Ichigo snapped holding up his black zanpakuto. "I find it interesting to note that you are having a considerably difficult time handling me solely than when it was two-on-one." Hutike stated as his sword emitted more ceil reiatsu.

"Whatever…Bring it!" Ichigo charged at Hutike with Zangetsu leaking out black and red energy. When he was in front of the Arrancar, he swung. Both zanpakutos clashed, releasing large quantities of black and ceil energy. They stayed like this for approximately one minute until they separated, ending their high-powered struggle. Ichigo panted while Hutike was calm and barely seem to have broken a sweat. Just when the slightest amount of lax cursed Ichigo, Hutike appeared behind him by the use of Sonido. "You're dead." Hutike said as he prepared to unleash his Cero. Stunned, Ichigo turned his head, just in time to for his eyes to meet the bright light of a ceil Cero.

Before Hutike could attempt to utterly scar Ichigo's face, a lightning whip suddenly grabbed him (more particularly his arm) and hurled him away from Ichigo. The Cero, therefore, misfired off into the skies of Hueco Mundo. Next, Hutike felt massive volts of electricity electrocute his body. Refusing to scream, Hutike gritted his teeth and snarled loudly in pain. After that, he was violently thrown back.

Ichigo set his sights on the the cause of the sudden ambush. "Raidon!" He exclaimed. The electric blonde recalled his lightning whip, reverting it back to its blade-like standards when it reached normal length. Raidon, just like what his other friends were experiencing, had a great golden aura of Spiritual Pressure; his crimson eyes glowed with golden resolve. "Yes. I'm fine…" Raidon said, "But Mr. Asukake won't be after we're done with him!"

The Rookie 5 concentrated their Spiritual Pressure and focused on the power that their Zanpakuto Deities supposedly awarded them with. Locating what they believed to be that power inside their souls, they clutched the hilts of their swords and prepared to show their opponents the true power of bonds.

"BAN-KAI!"

From those four spots in Hueco Mundo, pillars of yellow, blue, Alice-blue, silver, and red shot up to the sky.


	11. Bankai! Zanpakuto Deities’ Strength

For some reason, I neglected to proofread this. Probably I was rushing to get this up. Oh, well. Let me know of errors ASAP.

**Disclaimer: **Bleach is copyrighted by Tite Kubo (characters, series, and concepts). The only elements that shall be exclusive to me will be my OCs and their respective original content.

**Bankai! Zanpakuto Deities' Strength Revealed**

"_BAN-KAI!" _

_From those four spots in Hueco Mundo, pillars of yellow, blue, Alice-blue, silver, and red shot up to the sky._

"Fujin: Kaze ga Joutei no Jukuren (Japanese for "Fujin: Windy Lord of Dexterity")!" When the massive amount of Spiritual Pressure and wind subsided considerably, Yukimano in her Bankai state was revealed. The Japanese kanji for "wind" was adorning her hair, reminiscent of a hairclip. Her hair also appears to constantly flow in a nonexistent gust. Her Shihakushō's design had transformed into something similar to a kimono. Her zanpakuto's design was the same as her Shikai. Lastly, the faint apparition of a silver horned rhinoceros beetle with the wings originating from underneath its abdomen floated behind her.

Soi Fon stared at the enlightened Yukimano with a mixture of surprise and impassiveness on her countenance. She then turned and walked away. "Where are you going, Captain?" Yukimano asked, more focused on her enemy than ever. "It's time for another lesion, rookie." Soi Fon declared as she stopped approximately thirty meters from the battlefield and turned back around to watch, "From here on out, I'm not going to help you fight Immune. You're going to learn how to kill an opponent by yourself."

Yukimano looked at her faraway superior and cracked a zealous smirk, "That all?" Soi Fon returned the grin and responded, "Yes." Immune growled as uncharacteristic anger-marks cursed her forehead," I..am _not _some teacher's lesson plan!" Enraged, the butterfly-like Combinado Hollow dived at Yukimano. She then jabbed her arm at the female rookie. Yukimano dexterously flipped over Immune, using the latter's arm as a support. She then taunted, "You will be if you keep this up." Immune turned around in shock only to be brutally kicked in the face, and then crashing into the ground.

As Immune tried to recover from that attack, Yukimano manipulated the wind around her so that she could gently descend back to the sand. Immune, coughing from the excessive pressure her lungs received from her not-so-soft landing, snapped, "Think you're so powerful, don't you?!" Yukimano only remained quiet and only concerned for her opponent's next attack. "Maybe I'll get you to answer!" Immune shouted as flew at the rookie. When she got in very close proximity, she proceeded to continuously thrust her arm at Yukimano. The Soul Reaper merely dodged them all, barely moving at all.

Frustrated at the lack of progress, Immune disappeared by Sonido and reappeared behind Yukimano. Then, she flapped her wings, releasing violet gales. Before the couple gales could connect onto Yukimano, she suddenly dematerialized into puffs of wind. "What the-How did you do that?!" Immune screamed in astonishment. The Fujin-weilder appeared in front of the Combinado Hollow just as suddenly and swung her zanpakuto. Not only did the slash hit its mark, a lare gale was also produced. While Immune collapsed onto the sand, a sharp indent, furthermore, marked where she fell down.

"My Bankai's wind manipulation is merely an upgraded version of my Shikai's," Yukimano explained as she gently descended to the ground, "Although, using my Spiritual Pressure, I can dissolve myself into wind as a means of escape and teleportation, called Kazepou (Japanese for "Wind Step"). However, this is substitute for Flash Steps, meaning in my Bankai state I cannot perform Flash Steps. It's a price I'm willing to exchange for something more useful in my opinion."

Immune, with every last wound on her body reopened in addition to the new gash across her torso, painstakingly flew back in the air. "Very…well…then…" She panted breathlessly, "Then…I will…give you…the _biggest _Rainbow Cero you'll _ever _see!!!" Immune's four wings then illuminated brightly as multi-colored Spiritual Pressure traversed through the system of veins. Yukimano extended Fujin outward and flipped it so that it pointed downward. "I'd rather not see a light-show." She commented as she dropped her zanpakuto. When the tip of Fujin touched the ground, it dispersed into pure wind.

"Rainbow Cero!" Immune screeched as she proceeded to release the energy. Maddeningly, not even a liter of energy was released as planned. "What's going on?!" She hollered hysterically. All four of her wings were constricted by silver ribbon-like objects, and they were blockading the massive energy from unleash. "What are you doing?!" Immune interrogated heatedly.

"Satsui Boufuu (Japanese for "Murderous Gale")." Yukimano said, "It's over. I've captured you now." Struggling against the windy ribbons, Immune questioned, "Captured? What's THAT suppose to mean?!"

"It means Satsui Boufuu is doing its job. When I dropped my zanpakuto onto the ground, it disappeared into the wind, allowing Satsui Boufuu to take place. It summons those gales to constrict you. In most case, not many people will see it coming unless they have proficient Flash Steps or Spiritual Pressure recognition." Yukimano elucidated. "Then what happens?!" Immune asked in a growling tone.

Yukimano smirked and responded, "Glad you asked." Suddenly, Fujin reappeared in her hand (also surrounded by ribbon-like gales). Then, the ribbons clinging to Immune began to spread from her wings to her body. "Hey! Quit that!" Immune ordered she flailed around and tried to break the ribbons via force. "No good. You won't escape or break my gales like that." Yukimano assured. "Says who?!" Immune retorted obviously not interested in what the user of the attack had to say. Yukimano pointed a calm index finger somewhere. "Says where my gales originated. Take a look."

Immune cautiously looked at where Yukimano pointed out. The length of the gales was considerably long, but they did _not _end. Their "ends" trailed off into nothingness as if nothing was holding it. Yet, the way they adhered to Immune made it seem so. "Now look at Fujin." Yukimano instructed as held up her zanpakuto. Although the ribbons were shorter, their "ends" also faded into thin air. "Fujin's capabilities virtually have no boundaries. As long as my Spiritual Pressure is decent, it, and in turn I, can manipulate the air and wind. As such, my gales will follow you anywhere because their limits are just about nonexistent." The female graduate explicated.

Immune looked at the wind manipulator fearfully. She was trapped and she knew that dreadful truth. "Now for the good part." Yukimano announced. "G-Good..part?" Immune asked silently, trepidation evident. The ribbon-like gales proceeded to stretch outward. Immune screamed bloody murders as the gales formed a perfectly round silver sphere (save for some ribbons extending out to nothingness). "Now that I have you where I want you," Yukimano stated, "Satsui Boufuu's finisher is able to commence."

Soi Fon watched the scene in interest. "My, my, my. She really knows to kill by herself after all." The Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō commented. "Captain!" A voice called from behind her. Soi Fon looked her shoulder to see Marechiyo walking toward her. "So, you decided to wake up, huh?" Soi Fon stated as she continued watching the battle. Marechiyo stopped beside her, panting as if he finished a triathalon. "Y-yeah…" Marechiyo said. Then, he noticed the battle scene before him. Because he missed on practically everything, he asked Soi Fon, "Um…What did I miss?" Soi Fon replied, "Nothing much really. Just a lesson. The battle's about to end anyway."

"So what IS the finisher?!" Immune questioned desperately from the inside of the sphere. "Afraid of death, eh?" Yukimano tauted, "Whatever, I don't care. But I will show you." She tapped the hilt of her zanpakuto. That action caused the wind sphere to slightly increase in speed. Immune could also swear that something was poking her as it did. Then, Yukimano hardened her grip around the hilt. The sphere darkened from a silvery color to an anti-flash white color. When it did, multiple yet really small cuts lacerated Immune's body.

"What are you doing!? STOP!" Immune yelled as the lacerations continued to curse her body. "You wanted to know Satsui Boufuu's finisher, right?" Yukimano stated, "Well, I'm showing you. Anything that Satsui Boufuu has cornered in its clutches is at my mercy. I can increase the wind velocity of the ribbons, or the sphere in your case. Every increase causes you to be cut at a higher degree." Even though Immune could comprehend what Yukimano was explaning, she was being tortured by the constant slashing. Such torment pushed over the precipice of insanity, "AHHH! THAT'S ENOUGH! KILL ME NOW! DO IT! AHHHH!"

"Looks like even Combinado Hollows fear death…" Yukimano uttered, "But if you want to die so eagerly, then I have no qualms." She elevated Fujin whilst grabbing the hilt with both hands. "Farewell." Yukimano then gripped the hilt so tightly that she could have instantly choked the zanpakuto if the hilt was its throat. The sphere then illuminated into a glowing pure-white and lavender color. The wind speed increased so exponentially that the sounds of very strident shredding echoed across Hueco Mundo. Immune's screams supplemented these vociferous sounds as her black shadow seen inside the sphere was shredded and sliced into oblivion.

After what seemed to be an eternal twenty-five seconds, Yukimano made the gale disappear around her zanpakuto and Immune's location. Interestingly enough, nothing was inside the sphere; Immune was grated to the point nothing remained of her. With a heavy sigh, Yukimano deactivated her Bankai and Shikai and fell backwards from exhaustion. Marechiyo caught the tired rookie in his arms. "Not bad, rookie, not bad…" Soi Fon remarked with a smirk. Weakly, Yukimano turned her captain and returned the smirk before drifting off into a much-needed state of unconsciousness.

* * *

"Amaterasu: Ranran Megami (Japanese for "Amaterasu: Infernal Goddess")!" Upon statement of the words, Hono's flaming orange Spiritual Pressure was unleashed at a seemingly uncontrollably rate. The area practically shone in an orange and red glow at the pure power of Hono's Bankai release.

Even when the Spiritual Pressure subsided to a reasonable rate, Hono himself was still enveloped in his own power. A scarf made of flames was around his neck with its tail flowing from the fiery, sunlit aura around him. The Japanese kanji for "sun" adorned the front side of the scarf near the middle. His dual yatagans were same as his Shikai's. Lastly, the faint apparition of a red and orange six-winged Phoenix floated behind him.

Kenpachi gazed at the Bankai-induced Hono with his psychotic grin glued to his face, "So that's your Bankai, eh?" He asked. Hono sauntered over to Kenpachi and stopped right beside him, "Yup. Damn proud I got it too." Coctelera narrowed his eyes at Kenpachi and Hono, "So that's a Bankai? Intriguing as I have never one previously." Hono "hmph"-ed and retorted, "And it's going to be the last one you see too!" CGG and SGG charged at the male rookie boastfully and prepared to fire Ceros when they were to get in close range. "Bitch please…" Hono groused as swung his left-hand Amaterasu. A might wave of sunlight was released upon swinging. CGG and SGG were caught in it and immediately were blown back to Coctelera, burned and immobilized.

"Impossible!" Coctelera interjected in bewilderment. Shaking his head, he quickly regained his professional composure and said, "Perhaps I should up the ante to the pinnacle!" Grabbing the charred CGG and SGG, he then ingested them into his metallic body. The panel on his Coctelera bursted, allowing CGG's cobweb wings to spread out. Then, SGG's set of arms bursted from Coctelera's armpits and its set of legs bursted from his hips. Lastly, the masks of CGG and SGG (along with some icky black substances) appeared out of Coctelera's broken cranium, creating makeshift "horns". GGG now became the tail. "Now let's see if your Bankai can withstand me at absolute maximum power!"

"Oh, great…" Hono groaned sarcastically, "Now you made my stomach queasy. Now I have to kill you before I vomit." The transformed Coctelera growled in irritation as he charged at Hono and Kenpachi, "No! YOU shall be the one who's murdered!" The male rookie looked at his captain and requested, "Can you keep him at bay? I got a plan." "Watch me, rookie."

Kenpachi then charged at Coctelera with his nameless zanpakuto ready. Coctelera, atypically, continued to charge and even readied to match Kenpachi's sword strike with his arms. The two met and clashed sword-to-arms. "You Shinigami are irritating me," Coctelera growled as attempted to exert as much pressure as possible to champion over Kenpachi, "Both you and your comrade are nothing but killers who think pure power and Spiritual Pressure will defeat your foe! For that philosophy alone I will kill you using my superior brain!" Kenpachi then unleashed his massive, dark gold reiatsu as he retorted, "I don't give a shit what you have to say…" With a great roar, Kenpachi swung his nameless zanpakuto and blew Coctelera back with his strength alone.

Coctelera landed on his feet and skidded across the sand. "Of course you don't because you're nothing but savage-" Coctelera was cut off by a flaming fiery object just barely skimming across the side of his face. "Not only do you talk too damn much," Hono's voice suddenly stated, "You underestimate me and Captain Kenpachi." Coctelera looked over his shoulder to see one of the two Amaterasu blades jammed into the ground. "What is this?" He asked. Kenpachi, already at Hono's side, responded, "You'll find out soon enough. Finish this off, Hono." "With pleasure." The rookie, rotating the other flaming blade a couple spins, stabbed it into the ground.

Both Amaterasu swords each released a red and white line. These lines were going opposite directions forming perfect semicircles. Coctelera watched these lines nervously. Eventually, the semicircles met the swords, creating a perfect red and white circle. Then, the ground inside the circumference of the circle heated up, forming the perfect allusion of the surface of the sun. "WHAT IS THIS ABOMINATION?!" Coctelera screamed in astonishment. The black substances on his body began to bubble as if they were water or any other kind of liquid. Hono stepped inside the circle; as a result, a faint fiery red dome covered the circle. "My Bankai's most damaging skill, a ring of fire." He answered.

Kenpachi turned over to the cliff where Yachiru was watching patiently. "Yachiru, come over here. The battle's about to end." He ordered. "OK, Kenny!" Yachiru responded as she Flash Stepped over to Kenpachi and positioned herself on his left shoulder.

"Ring of fire…?" Coctelera muttered apprehensively. "You heard right." Hono replied, "Not only are you trapped, but your body is going to feel like it's on the surface of the sun." Coctelera defiantly snapped, "That's exaggeration!" Hono pointed at Coctelera himself and, with a grin, noted, "Then why is your body boiling like a pot of water?" The transformed Combinado Hollow looked at himself and Hono was indeed true. GGG, SGG, and CGG were gurgling in pain as their inky black bodies were withering, boiling, and evaporating. Coctelera exclaimed fearfully when he noticed his metallic body beginning to melt into hot wax.

"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south!" Hono chanted as red energy formed in the palm of his left hand. "What are you doing?!" Coctelera demanded inquisitively as his arms began to liquefy into wax; many amounts of steam also flowed from his boiling Hollows. "Finishing you off. Hope you like the smell of burnt corpse, Combinado Hollow." Hono state victoriously, "Hadō #31: Shakkahō!" A blast of red energy was discharged from Hono's hand.

Coctelera, with his third eye slowly starting to malfunction, screamed to the heavens, "HUTIKE ASUKAKE IS MY CREATOR, MY LORD, MY MASTER! HE IS THE TRUE KING OF COMBINADO!!!" The Hado spell blasted against Coctelera and, thus, created triggered a great big explosion of crimson inside the circle. The red cloud of fire erupted out of the dome, causing many sparks of wayward flames to scatter across the area. "Ohhh~ Fireworks~" Yachiru said in awe. "Heh. That was plain fun watching. That rookie's going places." Kenpachi remarked as he watched Hono pick up his swords and leave a deceased and melting Coctelera behind.

* * *

"Tsukuyomi no Mikoto!" The Japanese kanji for "moon" was on the back of Tsu Lung's Shinigami outfit. The Shihakushō itself was altered. Its normal black fabric was now a sparkling, moonlit Alice-blue color. Every hem of the outfit appears to dissolve into lunar particles and reassemble indefinitely. Lastly, the faint apparition of a two-headed Alice-blue okami with six tails floated behind her. The apparition emitted moonlight infinitely. Her sword was the same as her Shikai's.

"What the fuck is this shit?!" Abismo grumbly questioned as he tended to his empty arm socket. "My Bankai, Tsukuyomi no Mikoto." Tsu Lung answered. "So you got a Bankai, whoop-di-fucking-do!" Abismo bellowed in bombast. "That means this fight is reaching its end." Tsu Lung said as she held up her zanpakuto. Abismo's eyes leered at the rookie and snapped, "You're damn right it's going to end! _I'm _going to be the one killing _you_!"

"Then I guess I'll make this quick." Tsu Lung announced as her Alice-blue Spiritual Pressure flared wildly. "You ain't nothing qui-" Abismo, for the first time, was actually silenced as her witnessed something. Tsu Lung raised her zanpakuto to the artificial moon (the apparition behind her). Then, a sparkling moonbeam was discharged, illuminating the air and surroundings in front of Tsu Lung. "Ookami Unari (Japanese for "Wolf's Howl")!" The apparition behind her suddenly became more feral and realistic. It then stopped floating and landed onto the ground. As dangerous and threatening it now looked, it was obediently waiting for Tsu Lung's order.

Abismo, all of his audacity siphoned, began to nervously back up at the sight in front of him. Not only was Tsu Lung's Spiritual Pressure dense and alarming, the creature behind her supplemented this intimidation. Tsu Lung then charged at Abismo with her zanpakuto and her Ookami Unari attack ready. Abismo was paralyzed with fear. He hysterically pleaded, "STAY BACK! GET THE FUCK BACK!" Tsu Lung then leaped up, positioning herself above Abismo in the air. Lastly, as her body descended, she swung her zanpakuto downward and the Ookami Unari approached Abismo, roaring menacingly. The spiderlike Combinado Hollow's screams echoed across the hall as his hide became fodder for a wolf.

* * *

"Ryujin: Umi Shinsei (Japanese for "Ryujin: Seafaring Divinity")!" The wave around Aizonde was suddenly split in half as it continued to swish powerfully.

Aizonde pointed out his zanpakuto which was still the same as his Shikai's; however, its crossguard now excretes a black and blue waterfall instead of rain droplets and is now fashioned in the shape of a trident. The Japanese kanji for "water" was on the knots of the watery bandana and sash that magically appeared on him. The ties for the bandana and watery sash were unnecessarily long. Lastly, the faint apparition of a large blue Japanese dragon floated behind him.

Aizonde non-threateningly swung Ryujin and dematerialized the waves around him. "That's your…Bankai?" Casco inquired apprehensively. "Indeed." Aizonde responded, "Though, this is just my first time using it." Casco grinned and held up her hands to her neck, "Then I take the opportunity to defeat you in the midst of your inexperience." Forcibly cracking her neck, she shattered into glass pieces and large towering turquoise mirror surrounded the Bankai-induced Aizonde.

Aizonde cautiously exchanged glances at the each of the mirrors. Casco attempted this same thing on him when his zanpakuto was still Shikai-induced. And, actually, she managed to reflect two of his waves back at him (even scoring one hit on him) before he could completely destroy them all. "I'll not giving you the chance!" Aizonde yelled as he stabbed Ryujin into the ground. A giant torrential whirlpool surfaced from underneath the mirrors, instantly destroyed them and carrying Casco in its wake. Then, Aizonde swung Ryujin in multiple different ways; every time he did, the whirlpool was cut the same exact way.

The whirpool vanished as a result and Casco flew out suffering from one of the slices. Aizonde then appeared in close proximity of her via Flash Step. "You're mine!" He said as he proceeded to swing his sword. Every time Ryuin was swung, a watery trail was left behind it. Casco frantically blocked each shot with either a crystal katana or shield. Regardless of that, each impact from Ryujin's blade was highly potent; it continued to create cracks in Casco's defensive means. When he deemed he gave Casco's defensive means enough punshiment, he kicked her in her abdomen, catching her by surprise and sending her into the tile. _"Now's my chance!" _Aizonde thought as he spun his zanpakuto in circles. This resulted in the waterfall pouring from its hilt to trace a circular perimeter. Then, he swung releasing a black and blue crescent-shaped wave at Casco.

Casco, flat on her back and unable to react, was struck with the dark wave. But surprisingly, she felt no pain or pressure whatsoever. She blinked in incredulity and sat up as Aizonde landed on the tile. "What did you do?" Casco asked. The male Soul Reaper remained quiet. "Answer me!" Casco demanded as she shifted to get up. But, she then felt sometime very wet. Looking down, she witnessed the title suddenly turn into the surface of dark water. "Wha the-?!" Like a heavy shoulder, she suddenly sunk into the water.

In Casco's point of view, she was submerged in black and blue water and the bright surface tantalizingly hovered above her. The crystalline Combinado Hollow tried to fathom the occurrences. One minute, she was fighting a Bankai-empowered Shinigami. Now, she was suddenly underwater. "Confused?" Aizonde's voice asked, somehow ubiquitous in the environment she was in. Casco tried to reply but all that came out of her mouth was indistinct bubbling. She couldn't believe it, she _actually _was underwater.

"That dark wave I fired at you was not to harm you, but you set you up from my Bankai's most powerful ability, Suijou Gensou (Japanese for "Aquatic Illusion")." Aizonde explained. Many thoughts ran through Casco's mind. Was this Suijou Gensou supposed to summon attacks in the water? Was it supposed to drown her? Or was it to intimidate her? Regardless, Casco quickly began to swim to surface. Two things happened when she started: her breath began to diminish and the surface somehow inched further away from her. The Hollow continued to swim hoping increasing her pace would offer progress.

"Try all you like. You can't escape. Suijou Gensou won't allow you to." Aizonde said. The grim truth was that he was right. Casco's breath was now dangerously low and the heavenly surface seemed to not get any closer. "Unfortunately for you, your breath is now gone." As if right on cue, Casco released the last bits of her oxygen, accompanied by blood as her lungs felt like they collapsed. "Now you're going to get very lightheaded…" Indeed, Casco's vision began to fade away and her head felt heavy. "In fact, you're so lightheaded…"

Just as strangely as it happened, Casco was suddenly transferred back into the scene of reality. "…that you don't even notice my blade inside of you." Aizonde said with a smirk. His zanpakuto was firmly pierced through Casco's chest. The Combinado Hollow, surprised and exhausted, weakly questioned, "H-how did…you do that?"

Aizonde proceeded to explain, "Suijou Gensou is nothing more than an illusion. The dark wave I fired at you is specifically for activation of this move. It's similar to my regular waves except that the H20 molecules in them also have Kido particles. These Kido particles, when impacting a surface with a conscious, induce hallucination." Casco objected, "B-but…if it's Kido it shouldn't work!" Aizonde calmly replied, "It's not just Kido, it's water. And it's only an illusion. A mirror can't reflect what's not there. Face it, Casco, Kido was your friend. Now, Kido is your murderer. You're finished…"

Roughly pulling out his zanpakuto, a huge column of blue Spiritual Pressure shot up from the ground and enveloped Casco. Victorious, Aizonde deactivated his Shikai/Bankai, sheathed his zanpakuto, and walked over to Shunsui and Nanao as the column faded away, taking Casco's life as it did.


	12. Two Bankai vs A Resurreccion

**Disclaimer: **Bleach is copyrighted by Tite Kubo (characters, series, and concepts). The only elements that shall be exclusive to me will be my OCs and their respective original content.

**Two Bankai vs. A Resurrección**

"Raijin: Sugoi Kami no Ikazuchi (Japanese for "Raijin: Great Deity of Thunder")!" Raidon, after his golden Spiritual Pressure settled down, revealed his newly acquired Bankai. He now has the Japanese kanji seal for "thunder" on his chest with an X-shaped cross of electricity connected there centrally from around his upper body. The faint apparition of a golden Welsh dragon-like creature with an almost human-like posture floated behind him. Lastly, his zanpakuto remained in the same form as his Shikai's.

Ichigo appeared beside him via Flash Step, "That's your Bankai, huh?" He asked. "Apparently…" Raidon answered as he felt the massive amounts of reiatsu flowing through his body, "Feels pretty good too." Ichigo smirked and said, "I bet it does. Now let's see what you can do now!" The Substitute Shinigami then started to release a massive amount of black and red Spiritual Pressure. "I was thinking the same." Raidon replied as he released a massive amount of electric gold Spiritual Pressure.

Hutike narrowly his eyes slightly at the two Bankai-induced Soul Reapers. Curiously, he activated Pesquisa. An invisible sonar wave was released from his zanpakuto. When the Pesquisa sonar wave reached the duo, it immediately cringed and shattered. _"How perfect…"_ Hutike thought disdainfully, _"Both of their individual Spiritual Pressure match mine now…But together, they far exceed mine…" _

Unexpectedly, both Ichigo and Raidon appeared in front of Hutike and swung their zanpakuto. Quickly, Hutike raised his sword and blocked both attacks. The impact resulted in Raijin and Zangetsu releasing a mammoth amount of reiatsu, making the ground underneath them crack and shiver. Hutike tried to maintain a calm façade, but in actuality he was stunned to see such power unleashed. Then, diminutive cracks cursed the middle of his blade. Alarmed, he performed Sonido to create distance between he and the Soul Reapers.

"Where'd he go?!" Raidon exclaimed. Ichigo then sensed another presence of Spiritual Pressure above his head. "Up high!" Ichigo informed in exclamation. Hutike, his body matching the efficiency of a jet propulsion, dashed at the two Soul Reapers from above. "Dodge it!" Raidon cautioned as he Flash Stepped with Ichigo. Hutike, missing his mark, released the reiatsu-induced slash onto the ground, instigating large clouds of dust. Reappearing with Raidon, Ichigo said, "Looks like he's gettin more serious now that we both have Bankai." Raidon nodded and replied, "I think so too."

Suddenly, glowing ceil light illuminated from above. Instantly, Ichigo and Raidon looked up to see a Garganta and a Cero heading their way. "Damn it!" Ichigo exclaimed knowing they weren't going to be fast enough to evade the Cero this time. However, before the Cero could reach its mark, an enormous amount of electric gold reiatsu blocked the Cero. "Raidon!" Ichigo exclaimed once again. The blonde rookie had swung Raijin directly into the Cero, releasing many quantities of electricity and aforementioned energy at it. "Back…OFF!" Raidon screamed as he muscled out one final shove of his sword. The Cero was instantly cut in half and evaporated into oblivion. "Hey, not bad." Ichigo commented. "Now where's tall, evil, and crazy?" Raidon said, panting slightly.

They both turned to the fading clouds of dust and sand. Surprisingly, Hutike, nor his reiatsu, could be detected inside it. "What the?!" Raidon cried out. "Where'd he go?!" Ichigo stated as he frantically searched around his surroundings.

"Gran Rey Cero..."

A sudden flash of scarlet illuminated above the two Soul Reapers, prompting them to look up. Hutike had discharged from his zanpakuto probably the most deadly Cero variant alive, Gran Rey Cero. In the shape of a buzz-saw, the scarlet Gran Rey Cero flew at them rapidly. Quickly, Ichigo placed his hand on his face. "Ichigo, get ready to dodge!" Ration cautioned. "I've got a better idea…" Ichigo replied as he pulled down his hand across his face.

Hutike watched as a powerful crimson cloud encompassed Raidon and Ichigo. "Hm. Never possessed any worries." Hutike said as he indifferently continued gazing at his work. Then suddenly, the Gran Rey Cero was destroyed as a potent crescent-shaped wave of obsidian and ruby flew directly at him. Unable to dodge, Hutike yelled out as the attack impacted upon his body. Ichigo dispelled his Hollow Mask and commented, "Perfect shot. Do your thing, Raidon."

"Roger that, Kurosaki." Raidon replied as he placed a hand on Hutike's back. "Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle!" The Bankai-induced graduate chanted as electricity crackled in his hand. Alerted, Hutike created a small Garganta near his zanpakuto and shoved in it. "And that's not going to work anymore!" Raidon reassured as he suddenly Flash Stepped away. _"Damn!" _Hutike mentally exclaimed as he unfortunately stabbed himself with his own sword. Ichigo laughed at the blunder as he said, "Serves ya right, asshole!"

Raidon reappeared directly above the Arrancar, "Now as I was saying… Hadō #63: Raikōhō!" A wave of yellow energy in the form of criss-crossing lightning bolts was unleashed from his hand. The Hado spell immediately slammed Hutike onto the white sand as an electrical explosion occurred from the landing. Raidon then reappeared beside Ichigo with the latter commenting, "Down he goes."

Eventually, the aftereffects of Raikōhō vanished into thin air. Hutike was knelt down, bleeding from his wounds and panting. "I must commend you Shinigami…" The former Espada remarked as he painstakingly stood up, "To alter the course of the battle and injure me as such. To articulate the least, I'm flabbergasted." Ichigo and Raidon, wordlessly, pointed their zanpakuto at Hutike. "So," Hutike decided as he elevated his zanpakuto in a horizontal position, "I've decided to go all-out on you two." When the Arrancar removed his arms, his black stainless steel katana remained in the air.

Ichigo and Raidon watched quizzically as the former Espada continued his ministrations. _"What's he doing?" _ They thought simultaneously. "Christen…" Hutike mumbled as he grabbed the hilt of his zanpakuto. Then, magically, he lifted it up into a vertical position while an illusion made it seem like the hilt was still positioned horizontally. Next, he grabbed the blade and positioned it vertically, again leaving the illusion of a second horizontal blade. The results were that the two blades and two hilts bisected each other perpendicularly. "Teoría Híbrida (Spanish for "Hybrid Theory")!"

The zanpakuto then released an impossible of ceil-colored Spiritual Pressure and its method of direction imitated that of a vacuum. Ichigo and Raidon instantly began alarmed and firmly stood their ground as the release occurred. "Teoría Híbrida, my zanpakuto and Resurrección, when released allows me to absorb as much Combinado Hollow as I want from an area of my choice. Why? Because when I first launched my experiments, I implemented my DNA into these Combinado Hollows. This symbolizes that I am the true creator of Combinado Hollows! Now watch and be amazed, Shinigamis, as my ultimate power is unleashed!"

"So where exactly _are _going to get your Hollows?!" Ichigo interrogated. "From the Soul Society!" Hutike yelled as the vacuum started to suck in innumerable amounts of Combinado Hollows. "But there's like a million of those things still here!" Raidon stated. "That's exactly my point. Hutike responded as his body began to brightly illuminate. Then, after Hutike absorbed the entire desired amount of Combo Hollows, a huge burst of white and ceil light enveloped the area. Raidon and Ichigo watched amazed as the glowing object elevated into the sky, practically eclipsing the sun. Then, it began to increase in mass. "What the-.." Raidon whispered. "-hell is that?" Ichigo spoke in shock.

When the transformation finished, Hutike had underwent a major change. A large base, resembling a giant molar made of Hollow masks, was what stood out the most. It took up practically ninety percent of the Resurrección's overall body mass. A lavender and off-white disc-like layer of Spiritual Energy is created on top of the molar. From there, an innumerable amount of long black squirming stinger-like tentacles are extended from the underside of the layer. Hutike himself is positioned on a thimble-like podium directly in the middle of the layer. His zanpakuto (as it was in its perpendicular state) is attached to his torso and his gloves have three-pronged, bony claws. His scleras are now a deep midnight blue and his irises are grey. His mouth/mandible area is that of a Hollow's. The Resurrección's size is comparable to that of an average supertall skyscraper.

"It's…humongous!" Raidon commented. Ichigo gritted his teeth and said, "Well I always say, the bigger they are, the harder they fall!" Hutike callously chuckled and boomed, "Behold, Shinigami, this is my true form, empowered by my precious experiments! I can surmise you two will be major detours in my time to come, so I will personally efface you two from existence!" Ichigo screamed loud enough for the Arrancar to hear, "DREAM ON! WE'LL NEVER LOSE TO YOU!" "Too bad! I'll never relinquish my ambitions at the defeat of Soul Reapers!" Hutike's voice, mid-sentence, became deeper, deranged, and warped, "I must murder you!" Suddenly invoking his inner insanity, Hutike laughed hysterically and uncontrollably as a silver Cero was discharged from his both of his claws.

Raidon grabbed Ichigo and Flash Stepped; they reappeared many away from Hutike. "Hey! Why'd you create so much distance?!" Ichigo questioned. When the Ceros hit the ground, a large explosion answered Ichigo's question. "That's why. To avoid the potent aftershocks." Raidon said. The orange-haired male examined the Resurrección, contemplating on how to defeat such a form. "We first need to see what it can do. We'll be lucky if we can score some hits." Raidon nodded in understanding. Ichigo held up Zangetsu over his head and screamed, "GETSUGA TENSHŌ!" Then, he swung it releasing another crescent-shaped blast.

"Cero Combinado (Spanish for "Combined Zero")!" Hutike shouted with a maniacal smirk. Approximately ten Hollow Masks on the molar-like base opened their mouths and fired simultaneously silver Ceros at the Getsuga Tenshō. Instantly, they overpowered it and canceled each other out. "Oh great…" Ichigo groused. "Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! Hadō #63: Raikōhō!" A wave of yellow energy in the form of criss-crossing lightning bolts was discharged from his hand. "Aguijón del Alma (Spanish for "Soul Stinger/Sting of the Soul")!" The black tentacles suddenly gained an eerie silver aura and lashed themselves at the Hado spell. Instantly, the tentacles disintegrated it and absorbed its Spiritual Energy.

"Aw damn it!" Raidon exclaimed in frustration. "Not finished yet!" Hutike shouted crazily as the Aguijón del Alma began making their way to the two Soul Reapers. "Here it comes!" Ichigo warned as he fired multiple, smaller Getsuga Tenshō at the tentacles. Raidon jumped over one of the tentacles and grabbed it. Mumbling an inaudible chant, Raidon yelled, "Hado #11: Tsuzuri Raiden!" An electrical current flowed from the tentacle and surged up to its origination like spreading wildfire. All of the tentacles were shocked and Aguijón del Alma was instantly canceled. Then, the electricity began to course through Hutike's Resurrección form. "Hey, good going." Ichigo commented.

A maniacal laughter brought down those hopes right away. "You honestly believe this is going to harm me!?" Hutike shouted inquisitively and insanely. The Hado spell was doing absolutely nothing at all. "Impossible!" Raidon said in shock. "He can't be THAT strong…" Ichigo uttered unmoved at the display because of his belief. "Oh, but I am! Allow me to exhibit an excerpt of my true potential!" After the transformed Arrancar said that, five tall towers of black substances escalated from his disk-like layer. Then, multiple Hollow Masks peered through these icky towers.

"Now have at this!" Every single last one of the Hollow Masks seen on the Resurrección's form opened up. Then, silver energy began to charge up in them; even Hutike's mouth and pair of claws were charging up energy. You could obviously tell it was a Cero but, strangely enough, Hutike prolonged its discharge and continuing charging. Eventually, the multiple Ceros unified into one, blanketing the horizon in a broad silver flash of light and power. "Let us see how well you fare against my most destructive Cero!" Hutike yelled, "Apocalipsis Cero (Spanish for "Zero Apocalypse")!!"

The Apocalipsis Cero was discharged and an immense silver shockwave began to tear and shred through everything around it. The sunlight in the area was replaced with a bright destructive ivory light. "HOW THE HELL ARE WE SUPPOSE TO DODGE THAT?!" Ichigo screamed. Raidon, although panic-stricken himself, proposed, "Stand our ground." Ichigo looked at him quizzically, so Raidon continued, "Believe in our strength and our zanpakuto. We can do this! Just have to believe and keep calm…" As he grasped Raijin's hilt with two hands and held it out, he took a deep breath as electric gold Spiritual Pressure formed around his outline. Ichigo mimicked these actions and black and red Spiritual Pressre formed around his outline. Their countenances hardened with determination as the Apocalipsis Cero reached its climax.

A great explosion of ivory and ceil boomed across the battleground. The explosion was so massive that it could be visibly seem from across the horizon. Everyone Soul Reaper that participated in the Hueco Mundo fight turned their attention to it.

"Captain Soi Fon…what's that?" Marechiyo asked slightly terrified at the dense reiatsu of the explosion. "Honestly…I don't know. But it's definitely potent." Soi Fon replied.

Kenpachi (with Yachiru on his shoulder) and Hono looked at the altered horizon. "Damn, that's some Spiritual Pressure." Kenpachi commented. "I hope Icchi is OK." Yachiru uttered. Hono gazed at the burst of ivory and ceil absentmindedly, he knew exactly who was over there, _"Raidon…"_

"Captain Ukitake!" Sentaro yelled obviously pointing out the disturbance at the horizon. "I see it." Ukitake responded. The medicine Tsu Lung gave him and the rest during her battle with the now-deceased Abismo put him back into commission. "It must be Ichigo's doing…" Kiyone uttered. "And Raidon's…" Tsu Lung mumbled absentmindedly.

"It's definitely Raidon, Tsu Lung!" A collected voiced shouted from across the hallway. The multiracial Shinigami recognized the voice and looked forward. Aizonde was approaching them with Shunusi using Nanao as a support. "Aizonde!" Tsu Lung shouted, both out of surprise and relief. "Shunsui!" Ukitake exclaimed, "Are you well?" Shunsui gave a weak reassuring smile whilst tipping his straw hat and saying, "I'll live." Aizonde approached his female friend, "Don't worry. Raidon's our leader, he'll pull through, we just gotta support him." Tsu Lung nodded understandingly, "I know…I'm just anxious is all. Yukimano and Hono have won their battles and are safe." Aizonde responded, "I know how you feel. With Raidon fighting the head honcho and the last to finish fighting, concern is inevitable." With that, the Soul Reapers remained quiet and waited for the results of the final fight.

After nearly ten minutes of lingering, the ivory and ceil explosion completely subsided. The battlegrounds were totaled; everything in a 30-mile radius was demolished. Hutike laughed hysterically and triumphantly. "I accomplished it! I killed them! Victory is mine!" After that declaration, he continued his insane fits of laughter.

"You should think again." A determined voice said contradictorily. The former Espada looked in shock to see Raidon, completely fine, holding his zanpakuto in its whip-like state. He was even more astonished to see electrical bindings wrapped around his Resurrección. "How did…you perform THIS?!" Hutike screamed inquisitively.

Raidon explained, "My zanpakuto, Raijin, has two forms, its sword form and whip form. You are entangled by its whip form. Although, the whip is nowhere near that long, so I had to combine it with a Tsuzuri Raiden and Bakudō #4: Hainawa increase its length."

Hutike interrogated heatedly, "How could you perform that in so little time?! You should be annihilated!" The rookie closed his eyes and began to explain the strategy, with the events playing through his mind once again, "Indeed, your Apocalipsis Cero left us little time to react, but we definitely managed. I did a Bakudo #73: Tozanshō to protect me and Ichigo from harm, then I used up the rest of my Spiritual Pressure for the preceding Hado and Bakudo spells. Ichigo then used that small window of opportunity to fire a Getsuga Tenshō at you with my transformed whip following suit. Interestingly enough, Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshō did no damage. Regardless, I managed to wrap my whip around you."

Raidon reopened his crimson eyes and said, "And, honestly despite how fine I look, I'm just about ready to pass out. I had to do two Bakudo spells and a Hado spell, _with _incantations, in such short time. Along with having to release a lot of Spiritual Pressure. That's so much strain on a rookie like me." His red eyes suddenly glowed with golden resolve as he smirked, "But I'll stay up to see the final blow be delivered."

"DAMN YOU!!!" Hutike screamed manically as he aimed his right hand at Raidon. The towering black bodies behind him opened up their Hollow Masks. "DIE!!" He and the Hollows began to charge up silver Ceros. Before that could happen, the Hollows were suddenly sliced to bits, and he was cut across his torso (where his zanpakuto was located). "Forgot I was here, huh?" Ichigo said who was currently in the air above Hutike.

Teoría Híbrida cracked slightly as a thin, eerie lavender layer appeared around him and his Resurrección. Within this layer were faint Hollows practically swimming inside it. "I see," Raidon spoke, "so that's how why our attacks did nothing." Huteike snapped, "Yes! And you aren't going to able to puncture it either!"

Raidon smirked again, "And I believe that's where Raijin's actual ability comes into play." He clutched the hilt of his zanpakuto tighter. Electricity surged through the whip violently and surrounded Hutike in an electric gold aura. "Raijin's electricity has the ability to cause some form of harm. Whether it would be a simple sting or deadly electrocution." Right on time, the electrical particles seeped into his protective Hollow Layer like a jellyfish's stinging barbs. Hutike's Hollow Layer began to crack until it eventually broke apart. The former Espada screamed in agony as the sudden shock to his system was enough to sap away his strength.

"Ichigo! Do it!" Raidon instructed. Ichigo placed his hand near his face, replying, "You got it!" He pulled his hand over his face and his Hollow Mask decorated his face. Hutike, who was still being electrocuted, looked up in horror to see Ichigo diving down at him. "Getsuga…" He growled with his voice slightly warped. The Substitute Shinigami raised his zanpakuto as it leaked out black Spiritual Energy. Hutike could look helpless as the blade met his face. "TENSHŌ!!!"

A thin, barely visible line went down Hutike's Resurrección. Seconds later, a huge blast of black and red cut it in half…


	13. Back and Back Again

**Disclaimer: **Bleach is copyrighted by Tite Kubo (characters, series, and concepts). The only elements that shall be exclusive to me will be my OCs and their respective original content.

**Back and Back Again**

_Ichigo, as per instructon of Raidon, pulled his hand over his face and donned his Hollow Mask. Hutike, who was still being electrocuted, looked up in horror to see Ichigo diving down at him. "Getsuga…" He growled with his voice slightly warped. The Substitute Shinigami raised his zanpakuto as it leaked out black Spiritual Energy. Hutike could only look helpless as the blade met his face. "TENSHŌ!!!"_

_A thin, barely visible line went down Hutike's Resurrección. Seconds later, a huge blast of black and red cut it in half…_

Somewhere in Hueco Mundo, someone felt an ominous chill descend down her spine. Her now troubled green eyes gazed at the horizon at her part of Hueco Mundo. To accommodate this foreboding, a small gust swayed, slightly lifting up her blonde hair, _"Hutike…" _

"I-I-Im-possible…" Hutike coughed out his last words as he felt one part of his body separate from the other. Ichigo reappeared beside Raidon and dispelled his Hollow Mask. Raidon deactivated the Bakudo and Hado spells on his zanpakuto, retracted it, and reverted it to its sword state. "Well, that's that." Ichigo announced as he watched the halved Resurrección collapsed onto the ground. "Thank the Lord!" Raidon yelled in relief and deactivated his Bankai. "I know that's right." Ichigo agreed deactivating his Bankai as well.

"So you made it through, huh, Raidon?" Hono's voice spoke from behind. Ichigo and Raidon turned to see all of the captains, lieutenants, and Rookie 5 members standing behind them. "Wow, you guys look like you went through hell." Ichigo commented. "Yeah, and it was fun too." Kenpachi responded with his trademark shark-grin.

Raidon practically limped towards his life-long friends and commented, "Hmm, I see two people not walking on their own." Tsu Lung chuckled; she was using Aizonde as a support. Yukimano, who was now conscious and still in Marechiyo's arms, retorted, "My Bankai took a lot out of me…" Hono approached Raidon and forcibly put his arm over his shoulders, "You can barely walk on your own, Raidon." Hono said, "We saw you limping."

Ukitake looked at the Hell Butterfly currently on his fingertip. "Good news, everyone," He announced, "All Combinado Hollows have been exterminated from the Soul Society." Kiyone, Yachiru, and Tsu Lung shouted in celebration, Aizonde, Hono, and Raidon laughed victoriously, while the rest just smiled/smirked. "Good, that means we can get out of his God-forsaken place." Shunsui stated, "I'll be able to get home, kick back, and relax at last." Ichigo placed his bandaged Zangetsu on his back and stated, "Yeah, the sooner we get home, the better."

With that, the group of Shinigamis Flash Stepped way. The satisfaction of victory lingered in their minds as they returned back home.

Conversely, everyone who sided with Hutike had the sour thoughts of defeat scarring their minds. Usude was one in particular. He looked at his dead master's bloody corpse on the sand woefully. The former Espada was divided into two symmetrical parts, signaled by the broad line of blood going down the middle of his body. "Master Hutike…" Usude said mournfully.

He let himself enter a deep state of contemplation. Exactly a day before this war broke out, Hutike had informed him of something very important. _"Usude...In case I do not survive this war against the Soul Society, I just want you to be aware that in the underground floor of this tower there are files of my Combinado Hollow Project. Learn them well, you _are _my successor for the projects, evolve and revolutionize it!" _

"And so I shall, sir." Usude said as he picked up his master's fallen zanpakuto, "The second generation of the Combinado Hollows begin here and now!"

**-Months Later…-**

A lost child frantically ran through a dark forest. Perspiration ran down his face, not only because of the exercise he was getting but the fear in his heart.

Three mindless Menos Grande Hollows appeared and pursued the frightened child, wanting to devour his soul. One of them, grown tired of this game of cat-and-mouse, opened his mouth and began charging a red Cero. Unluckily for the child, he tripped over a stone and fell to the ground. He cowered in fear when he saw the Cero reach the peak of charging.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

That particular Hollow was suddenly slammed into the ground by multiple glowing rods. One rod even hit its mouth, forcing it shut and having the Cero implode its head. The child got up and tried to move until he was grabbed. "Don't worry, you're completely safe." A soft and welcoming voice assured and disappeared with him.

The three Menos Grande sharply diverted their attention to where their opposition was. Even with the faint moonlight and grey-green sky, you could clearly see the five people positioned atop the set of trees. "In case you're wondering who we are, here are our names." The leading person said with a smirk.

"Perfecture Aizonde, 5th Seat of the 8th Division." Aizonde introduced, kneeling on his treetop. His Shihakushō was now sleeveless. The hems of his pant legs and shirttail possessed blue markings reminiscent of waves. "Teiduhura Hono, Unseated Member of the 11th Division." Hono introduced standing right beside Aizonde with his dual zanpakuto already unsheathed. He possessed a long orange scarf reminiscent of the scarf he gains during his Bankai.

"Sōtatsu Yukimano, Unseated Member of the 2nd Division." Yukimano introduced. She was unchanged. "Xioyuna Tsu Lung, Unseated Member of the 13th Division." Tsu Lung introduced on both of her knees, protectively hugging the frightened child. The sleeves of her outfit were longer and, thus, enveloped her hands.

"And finally Kaminari Raidon, Captain of the 3rd Division." Raidon introduced, in front of his friends and hands in his pockets. A white haori was on his back, not worn but attached to his neck like a cape. His haori underside color was pear-colored.

The three Menos Grande Hollows looked at the Rookie 5 menacingly. They responded by unsheathing their zanpakuto (in the exception of Hono since his was already out).

"Rookie 5," Raidon uttered as he and his friends pointed their zanpakuto at the Hollows and prepared themselves, "let's go!"

**Ending Author Notes**

Well, this is the end of Rookie 5. Now granted, being my first time writing Bleach, I am well aware my story isn't exactly the BEST you could read, but trust me I'll improved in the two future sequels. So for now, I bid adieu and check out the rest of my stories and the stories to come.**  
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